Broken Ice
by The Green Spirit
Summary: Weeks after Origami is sealed Miku receives a strange letter from Yoshino asking for help with something she can't let Shido or anyone else find out about. When Miku discovers just how broken the young girl is she vows to try and help her put the pieces back together again. The question now is can the fragments of her faith be put back together or is she beyond repair?
1. Requests

**Date A live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 1: Requests**

Quick Author Note: This is my first fanfiction in years and I'm really out of practice so please try and not mind the fact that I have terrible punctuation and a odd writing style. This will not be a Miku X Yoshino romance story but expect mountains of hurt/comfort and friendship fluff between the two. Only planning on two chapters but if well received I will extend the story with a continuing storyline that will include Kaguya,Yuzuru, and Natsumi antics. Shido, Tohka, Origami, Kotori, and Kurumi will play a minimum part if any.

* * *

Miku's House

It was a unusually warm mid-December afternoon as the gorgeous lavender haired Idol Miku Izayoi hurried around her mansion located on the outskirts of Tenguu city getting ready for an event she had been dreaming about all morning.

"Ok candy trays are stocked, snacks are in order, tea is ready to be served, and cute cosplay outfits are ready for her to try on just in case!" noted Miku happily as she checked over all her preparations (realistic and otherwise) for the visit of her little friend Yoshino.

Yesterday Miku had come home to find a piece of mail taped to the outside of her mansion's front gate. Being an idol such mail was commonly a confession of love from a misguided fan or even a threat from a stalker to be reported to the authorities however this mail caught her attention because the envelope bore a hand-drawn picture of Yoshino's best friend and hero Yoshiron on the side. Miku had quickly opened the letter and to be honest had been quite confused by it at first due to both it's sudden appearance and it's very short content.

_**Dear Miku**_

_**If it's not too much bother can I come over to your house as soon as possible? I need help with something. Don't mention this to anyone please especially Shido.**_

_**From Yoshino and Yoshiron**_

Yoshino had always been a very timid girl who feared being forced into social situations but despite that how short the letter had been seemed odd even considering it came from a girl of very few words. Even stranger was that last part asking for secrecy especially from darling (Shido) who was easily the one every spirit that had fallen in love with him could trust most in life with their problems. What did Yoshino need help with and why did she not want anyone else besides her to find out about it? The only thing Miku could come up with that made sense was that Yoshino felt that she was the only one who could help with whatever it was but even then that didn't offer much of a clue into what Yoshino actually wanted.

Nonetheless a cute girl had asked Miku for an invitation and with how Miku felt about cute girls she certainly wasn't going to say no and had promptly sent Yoshino a text on when she could come over as well as the access code to her front gate. In all honesty Miku had been meaning to invite Yoshino over for some time now to watch a show both girls turned out to be a fan of however whenever she brought up the issue of the other spirits visiting her home instead of the other way around they seemed to have "hesitations" about coming. Miku could somewhat understand considering the way her relationship with the other girls had started off and her tendency to get a little touchy with cute girls but she really didn't mean any harm to them. While Miku did love cute girls and loved watching them do cute things around her she also really cared about her friends and did wish to get closer to them. They had been through a lot in the short amount of time they had known each other even going so far as to be nearly killed in combat on several occasions. Things had been very hectic lately with Origami becoming a spirit like her and the other girls and going on a rampage that darling even had to use timetravel to stop!

It had been several weeks since that battle where Origami was sealed and things had been calm so Miku had been attempting to use this time of peace to have fun with her friends and make sure everyone was happy. Rataoskr; the organization in charge of keeping the spirits safe and calm; approved of her attempts and had been trying as well to get the spirits to enjoy their well earned break from the action. Sadly things seemed to be hitting a slight roadblock with Origami having a few issues with Tohka, namely their barely suppressed desire to kill each other kept ruining the mood. It did not matter what they did or where they went those two couldn't go longer than five minutes without acting like two cats hissing at each other from across the room swatting at the air with their claws out. Even Kaguya and Yuzuru who spent their entire lives in a state of constant competition were frightened by just how much murderous intent those two gave off when their rivalry acted up.

"_Warning: Tohka and Master Origami approaching from front door. Category 5 levels of hate have been detected, please evacuate towards the nearest bathroom until the national Shido service has sounded the all clear"_ reported Yuzuru one day as Shido entered his house during one of Miku's visits being nearly torn in half by both Tohka and Origami holding onto his arms while glaring at eachother

Shido had recently confided in Miku that Rataoskr was swamped trying to keep the peace between those two and had even lapsed somewhat in their surveillance of the other spirits due to the refocusing of resources. It was kinda odd to Miku to know there was a giant government organization dedicated to watching her and the other girls and who would do anything to keep them happy but considering the fact that a unhappy spirit was just as dangerous as an unstable power plant reactor she could understand the measures they took. Shido had actually mentioned the shift in surveillance was actually worrying him somewhat due to some strange behavior that little Yoshino had been exhibiting over the past few weeks. Apparently she was up late at nights, spent long stretches of time in the bathroom, didn't seem to smile as much unless she noticed Shido was watching her, and strangest of all she was making odd splashing sounds in her room almost every other morning right before sunrise.

Despite Kotori's assurances that everything was being handled Shido told Miku he was starting to get worried and planned to ask her about it when he felt the time was right or whenever he could find some time when he wasn't keeping Tohka from taking out her sword and attacking Origami.

'_Or I could try and pry open all her secrets here and save darling the trouble_' thought Miku with a grin planning to use Yoshino's visit to bring up Shido's concerns and try to figure out what was the matter

Miku suspected somewhat that the sudden appearance of the letter may have been in response to Shido pressing the issue at home but had not talked to darling since getting the letter. Either way she was bound to find out soon enough as she headed to the front door after noticing the clock had nearly reached the time she had texted to Yoshino the day before. Yoshino was obsessively polite in all things and Miku wasn't surprised when she heard the doorbell ring at the exact time the clock chimed on the hour.

"Ahh Hello Miku! I'm not late am I?" timidly greeted Yoshino as Miku opened the door to a most glorious sight

There before her stood the ever cute Yoshino in a bright white sundress with her hair done up in low hanging twintails carrying Yoshinon with one arm and a small powder blue purse in the other.

'_Ah she always looks SOOO CUTE!'_ screamed Miku mentally taking in every adorable detail of the little blue-haired girl's body

"Of course not you're exactly on time! Welcome Yoshino!" greeted Miku happily waving the younger girl inside

"T-that's good! I was worried since I had a hard time with that security code on the gate out there" explained Yoshino as she stepped inside

"**Yeah she couldn't reach those top buttons on the keypad, Yoshino is a bit on the short side"** said Yoshinon causing Yoshino to blush

'_Even her reason for almost being late is cute!' _thought Miku imagining Yoshino standing on her tippy toes trying to reach the top keys _'Oh I'm SO checking the front gate camera for that later'_

"Sorry about that but I need to keep the creeps out due to my job so the house has a fairly good system" apologized Miku with a light laugh " I hope the gate didn't keep you too long, wouldn't want you to get cold out there"

"No it was fine. The news said it's supposed to be unusually warm all week"

"Yeah I noticed how nice it's been, glad to hear it'll last a while longer"

"At least till Monday then some cold is supposed to come back through"

"**Or it could come back a lot sooner if Yoshino feels bad, that's always a possibility"**

"Y-Yoshinon!"

"Don't worry I'll make sure to keep little Yoshino is nice and happy!"

"..."

"**Hey don't forget about me!"**

"You too little Yoshinon"

"..."

"**In that case you can start by pointing us towards the snacks!"**

"Yoshinon that's m-much too direct for a guest!"

"**There are snacks right? I was promised snacks. I will be angry if in fact there are no snacks"**

"(Giggle) Of course they're in the parlor!"

"**To snacks! Forward Yoshino! March!"**

"Waaagh!" yelped Yoshino as she was seemingly dragged by Yoshinon towards the hallway with Miku following close behind

"I could watch those two forever!" moaned Miku drooling as she thought about how adorable Yoshino and Yoshinon's back and forth conversations always were

* * *

Finally reaching the parlor where Miku had set out everything for their visit Yoshino plopped herself down on a chair at the table where Yoshinon was pretend gorging on treats. Miku sat down and watched with glee at the antics going on in front of her with Yoshinon rapidly moving from bowl to bowl while Yoshino made a face similar to someone who's drunk friend was embarrassing themselves at the party

"**Oh baked chips I love these! What are these yellow things over here? Gonna skip the pretzels they make Yoshino have to go to the bathroom lots. Nuts are a bit too salty to have before drinks are served. Ah ha candies! Yoshino she has those chewy strawberry cream candies you love so much! Try some!"**

"Y-yoshinon try and pace yourself. We just got here!"

"**You haven't been eating enough! You should be eating much more! Especially sweets! Be like Tohka!"**

'_She hasn't been eating enough?' _pondered Miku

"I'll get fat"

"**Maybe some of that fat will go to your boobs finally! Who knows? Maybe an extra 100 kilos might be worth it in exchange for J cups!"**

Yoshino could only let out a slight squeak in response as her face turned crimson at the mentioning of such a "sensitive" subject to her in the company of others

"Tea Yoshino? Yoshinon?" asked Miku breaking up the two while holding up the pot

"Um if it's not too much a hassle can I get a soda maybe? It's fine if you don't have any but I'm just really in the mood for some" replied Yoshino clearly worried about intruding with her request

"Oh don't worry it's fine! A good host always has several options prepared" boasted Miku walking over to the little mini-fridge she kept spare cold drinks in "What type you want? Cola? Grape?"

"**Got anything with lots of caffeine in it? Yoshino's been downing stuff like that for weeks now"**

"Just a cola please" answered Yoshino trying to restrain Yoshinon to prevent any more outbursts while Miku came over with some cups and poured her out a drink prompting a quick "Thank you" from Yoshino who almost instantly gulped down half the cup

"No problem feel free to have more if you want you seem thirsty"

"I've just been in the mood for soda more lately since Tohka brought home a whole bunch of bottles to try out"

"Always trying new foods and such isn't she?"

"**Good thing too! Yoshino has been needing the extra energy lately due to-mph!"**

Yoshino quickly covered Yoshinon's mouth to keep him from continuing with that subject while trying to steer the conversation back on track

"Yeah she's been really frustrated lately so Shido's been trying to calm her down with new types of food and drinks so we've had all this new stuff to eat lately even some stuff from across the Ocean" explained Yoshino who had been quite taken back by some of the stuff they had gotten to try lately

"Oh really? Anything interesting?

"Yeah some of the stuff is really tasty but weird. We've had a pizza with the crust wrapped in bacon and some type of sandwich that used fried chicken as the bread!"

"I hope not in one night! That's far too many calories!"

"No, Shido did say we really can't eat like that too often without getting fat"

"A girl has to be very careful to take good care of their body, trust me I've had to turn down a good number of dinners to keep me looking like this" said Miku proudly while hugging her thin waist

"**You should have seen the mayhem when Origami said there was no point to Tohka watching her weight. "An extra 10 Kilograms won't matter to one who has the frame of an elephant". Tohka almost skipped dinner because of that!"**

"That's serious! She never misses a meal! Even the extra snacks I bring over to your house from time to time"

"Y-yeah she ended up eating anyway after Origami started talking about how wonderful Shido's cooking is" continued Yoshino secretly suspecting the attempts to get Tohka not to eat before praising Shido's cooking was just more of Origami's mind tricks

"I really need to come over for dinner with you girls more often, I haven't had enough of darling's cooking lately"

"**You can't be any worse than Origami! She's coming over basically every day to be with Shido now that we're all on the same side"**

"Oh dear is she still having issues fitting in? Any lingering hostility from everyone?

"**If by everyone you mean Tohka? Yes"**

"What about you Yoshino? She did give everyone a hard fight so some resentment might be understandable"

"I f-f-forgave her like everyone else" said Yoshino with a hesitant stutter

"**To forgive is one thing, you still need to-" **began Yoshino only to be stopped by a hand moving to his mouth

"Yoshinon please stop" asked Yoshino looking down at her cup of soda sadly

Evidently Yoshiron had hit a nerve with his last comment

"**I'm not going to stop dropping hints!" **sang Yoshinon tauntingly

"Um hints?" asked Miku picking up on the sudden change in mood

"It's nothing Miku" Yoshino tried to re-assure her before grabbing her cup and rapidly downing what was left of her drink "Um can I get some more please?"

Miku poured her out another drink fully aware Yoshino was looking for an opening to change the subject from whatever Yoshiron had just brought up

'_Just what is going on here?'_

Seemingly shutting down the conversation Yoshinon had tried to start as well as their small talk Yoshino and Miku got stuck in a awkward silence for a while. Miku gave Yoshino a reassuring smile and waited for her to speak up but everytime she looked like she was going to say something she got a pained look on her face and just proceeded to take another little sip of her drink or a snack from the table.

'_The old eat to avoid a conversation trick. Gonna have to start things again myself'_

"So Yoshino your letter mentioned something about needing help right? May I ask what with?" said Miku trying to get past the small talk and a bit more to the point

Evidently this sudden change of pace caught Yoshino off-guard and she visibly jumped in her seat as Miku asked the question

" Yes! I-I Um? Yes? Need help! With um...yes help"

Miku could only look on puzzled as Yoshino seemed to panic and start falling all over her words uttering little more than gibberish as she struggled to form a complete sentence

"Help with...favor. Did before. Do again. If not a burden!" spat out Yoshino now in a full panic with tears welling up in her eyes comically

"Calm down! Calm...down. It's ok Yoshino just explain" said Miku putting her hands on the twitching girl's shoulders

Yoshino seemed to calm down for a brief moment while she tried again to figure out her words only to fail yet again to form a understandable sentence

"Um, Um, Um, Um, Uhhhh..."

Miku was going to tell her to calm down again only to see Yoshino bolt up out of her chair and give her a polite bow

"I'm sorry for wasting your time Miku! Thank you for having me over! I'm gonna go home now!"

With that Yoshino turned around and started walking towards the hallway door giving Miku little time to react

"Huh?!" exclaimed Miku rather shocked by this turn of events as she got up from the table to chase the rapidly retreating spirit

"It was nothing important! I'm really sorry for making you do all this for me! I'll try and make it up to you the next time you come over!"

"Hold on Yoshino! Please calm down! Whatever it is I'd be happy to help!"

"No it was stupid! Just a dumb idea from me! Stupid stupid idea!"

"Yoshino please wait!"

"I'll talk to you the next time you come over"

"**Yoshino!"**

The angry outburst shocked Yoshino badly enough to stop her dead in her tracks

"**You asked Miku to come over today and she went through all this effort to prepare for you! You're being a terrible guest! Get back there and talk to her! We did not come this far to back out now!"**

Evidently Yoshino's sense of guilt from the scolding was strong enough to get her to turn to face Miku finally with an apologetic look on her face and small tears in her eyes

"S-sorry Miku"

Miku let out a light sigh before taking Yoshino's hand and guiding the young spirt back to her chair

"It's ok Yoshino just please talk to me"

"Ok" squeaked out Yoshino in shame as she sat back down with Miku looking over her

"Not gonna run away again?

"No…"

"That's good"

"Sorry"

"Just don't worry me like that Yoshino I'm your friend"

"Ok"

"Now then...what is it you need help with?" asked Miku with a gentle smile still holding Yoshino's hand

"What I want is...is.."

Despite calming the girl Yoshino still looked hesitant to make her request and remained sitting in silence for several moments carefully thinking out the words she wished to use before Yoshinon just decided to take the brute force method again and speed things along

"**She's wants to get naked, lay down, and have you stimulate her sensitive virgin body in the way only you can Miku!" **shouted Yoshiron

"..."

"..."

For a moment there was no sound as the color rapidly drained from Yoshino's face that was frozen in abstract horror at what had just happened. Across from her Miku's body came to a complete standstill while her mind was busy trying not to implode as it processed what the hell she had just heard Yoshinon say. For a lover of cute girls Miku had always dreamed of having an adorable girl (or four) come to her and confess their love &amp; most sensual desires but now that it had ACTUALLY happened she couldn't quite handle it.

'_OhmygodOhmygodOhmygodThisishappeningnowohmygodthemostadorablegirlI'veeverseenjustconfessedtomeandwantstotakehervirginityinthewayonlyIcan!'_

The nervousness, the desire to be invited over suddenly, the fact that she wanted this to be a secret all made sense now! Yoshino loved her and wanted to confess!

"_Big sis I know it's not normal for girls to love but I just can't help it! I love you! I love you so much! Please be with me forever! We can both be with darling now!" said an imaginary Yoshino in Miku's fantasies as she confessed under a sakura tree in full bloom before they both lovingly embraced one another_

"_Yes my dear little Yoshino we can both share in all of darling's love now as well as our own" said fantasy Miku caressing the young girl _

If Yoshino had been looking up at Miku she would have seen the older girl's mouth start drooling as she appeared to be staring off into space (in reality she was merely looking into her own perverse imagination which was equally just as vast...and also full of naked girls)

"No not like that!" she shouted at Yoshinon "You're explaining it weird!"

"**My way is just one way of explaining it. Also may I add it is the most awesome way!"**

"No no no! I just want a back massage like she did with Natsumi!" shouted Yoshino frantically trying to explain to the still dumbstruck Miku

"Back massage?" asked Miku recoiling and slowly coming out of her fantasy fueled stupor as a small part of her mind cried out in despair

'_GODDAMMIT!'_

"Yes!" clarified Yoshino "I was hoping for a massage like you gave Natsumi when we were all helping her feel better!"

'_Double dammit!'_

"Oh that's what you meant (nervous laugh). Yes of course (haha) that's all you meant" said Miku wiping away a bit of drool from her mouth as she tried to conceal her shattered dreams and act like she hadn't been been imagining her and Yoshino scrubbing each other's bodies in a bubble bath less than ten seconds ago (Truth be told she was usually thinking about things like that but for once she thought it could actually happen making the blow so much worse).

"Now I wish I hadn't asked" admitted Yoshino who was rightfully feeling depressed and embarrassed over the whole misunderstanding

"Oh don't say that!" replied Miku snapping back into her cheery persona after her brief moment of crushing depression "You asked a favor of a friend, there is nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"So you'll do it?" asked Yoshino hesitantly causing Miku to finally actually consider what she was asking about after getting sidetracked down yuri fantasy avenue

'_So Yoshino wants a treatment like I gave Natsumi? What brought this on?' _thought Miku wondering why Yoshino suddenly had such a request

Miku remembered her opening a faux spa for an afternoon in order to help Natsumi deal with her self-loathing tendencies and poor skin condition. She had used spa skills learned from maintaining her own body to give the girl a proper skin treatment and back massage in order to show her she could be beautiful even without transformation powers. Thinking back on it Yoshino had been in the room at the time and had watched for a good while before taking a nap in the corner (she was so cute while asleep!) meaning she knew about Miku's skills with such things and had watched the treatment firsthand. Now she was asking for the same treatment weeks later out of the blue and while Miku was hardly disappointed by this turn of events she still couldn't quite figure out what had happened to cause Yoshino to come forward now.

"First could I ask why Yoshino? I'm not against your request this is just a bit sudden" said Miku deciding to just be blunt with the girl

"I just really wanted to try one that's all" explained Yoshino with her eyes shifting to the side clearly indicating she was lying

'_She's embarrassed, could it be…love?' _thought Miku as a smirk crossed her face

"Have you suddenly taken an interest in enhancing your body? Maybe want to try improving yourself to make a few passes at taking darling all to yourself with your beauty? Is that why you wanted the beautiful idol Miku's help in the secret task? Worried about Shido or the competition finding out about your grand plans for conquest?" asked Miku voicing her suspicions playfully

Yoshino turned crimson with steam almost pouring out of her ears as she denied the allegations against her

"W-WHAT?! N-NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL! I JUST WANT TO TRY ONE! NO REASON! NO REASON! AT ALL!"

Miku laughed at the outburst feeling she had gotten the mood into a good place finally to continue the conversation and offer Yoshino some advice on getting a treatment for herself

"Listen if you want some treatment from a spa you really should go to a real one. My skills are great but I'm not a professinal plus there are some really nice ones in town I can recommend for someone with your body-type"

"I can't go to a real one" replied Yoshino looking uncomfortable

"Why?"

"I just can't"

"Is it cost?" asked Miku knowing full well how much those places could run up a bill

"No I could always ask Shido or Rataoskr for money but that's why I can't go to a real place" explained Yoshino shifting in her seat uncomfortably

"I see, you don't want to ask them for the money because you don't want to feel like you're wasting someone else's money on expensive pleasures right?" guessed Miku figuring that's exactly what someone like Yoshino would do

In theory the funds Rataoskr could provide when it came to keeping the spirits happy was rather extreme due to the government's desire to keep them out of trouble and content. They routinely set up expensive set pieces to keep the girls in check and entertained when they went out with Shido on dates. Due to the spirits lack of knowledge when it came to the normal world they pretty much had all their expenses covered since none of them had much of a clue how money or bills worked still. The Yami sisters had in-fact accidently shoplifted from a store since they didn't realize saying "put it on my tab" only worked if the store owner agreed to it. Miku had no idea if any of the girls knew how to hold down a job but considering Shido had told Miku Tohka once kicked a bridge out of sheer frustration hard enough to collapse it and Yoshino routinely froze everything nearby when upset it might have been too dangerous to even allow them to get one. Jobs could be stressful and when things exploded when you got upset it may have been just easier to keep the girls supported with buckets full of money. Any of the girls could ask for expensive things if they wanted but the knowledge that Shido would scold them for it made sure nothing too expensive was requested.

"Listen if you don't want to go to Rataoskr for the money I'd be happy to treat you! We could go together and make a day of it" offered Miku imagining her and Yoshino having a lovely day getting worked on in the spa

"_Big sis! Thanks so much for taking me here! Now I can be beautiful like you!" said Imaginary Yoshino with a warm smile as they both relaxed in a mud bath together_

Before Miku could start to drool again Yoshino cut in and ended the fantasy quickly

"That won't work either" spoke Yoshino puzzling Miku

"Why not?"

"**Rataoskr monitors the girls a lot and has spies and contacts everywhere, if Yoshino went to a spa they might find out about it"**

"Why can't they find out? What's so wrong about them finding out about a spa trip?"

"I can't say"

"**Oh you could say, you just really don't want to"**

Something was wrong here, Miku knew it but couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly it was. This was far too much secrecy and worry for something as simple as some basic skincare and she was determined to get more information.

"Yoshino just getting some skin work done isn't a major issue, there's no reason to feel like you need to hide things from everyone"

"**Not the skin benefits she's after Miku"**

Yoshino choked slightly as Yoshinon dropped another hint at what she was hiding from Miku and by the sounds of it Shido and Rataoskr

"It's not? Then what.."

"**She's more interested in the relaxation part of the process. Heck Natsumi looked like she was in heaven with that rubdown you gave her"**

"You want one because you think it'll help you relax?" Miku asked surprised by what she had just heard

'_I suppose that would make sense too, it is very relaxing but then why the secrecy?' _wondered Miku getting somewhat worried now

"**Yup! Yoshino has been feeling how to do you say "Pressure" lately and was hoping she could get a little help with some stress-relief without Shido or anyone else catching on"**

Ok Miku was getting very worried now this was starting to sound like something a bit more serious than a plan to seduce Shido

"Is this true Yoshino?"

Yoshino slumped her shoulders down and gave a tired sigh as she admitted "Yes, I heard back massages and stuff like that could really help with stress and Natsumi seemed to enjoy hers so much I wanted to ask you to try and do the same for me"

Seeing Yoshino's posture drop Miku for the first time noticed since she arrived just how tired Yoshino seemed to look. It was subtle but after finally looking past her cute outfit and natural beauty she finally started to notice a lack of natural color in Yoshino's cheeks and very small bags under her eyes. They may not been even close to Rene level but they were definatly there; and onced you noticed them it was hard to not see them hanging under those saphire eyes.

"Yoshino is something wrong?"

"N-N-N-No…"

"**Only bad girls tell lies Yoshino" **scolded her puppet knowing exactly which buttons to press with his owner

"Y-Yes" stuttered Yoshino changing her answer out of guilt "S-Something is wr-wrong. I jus-just d-d-don't want to talk about it"

"And you can't let anyone from Rataoskr find out?"

'_Yoshino just what is hurting you this much?'_ Miku was beyond worried who by this point and knew that something was VERY wrong here

"Yes s-so please don't tell them! Please Miku! They can't find out!" begged Yoshino desperate for some reassurance from Miku that this wouldn't get back to them

"Ok Yoshino…" Miku hesitantly agreed to the girls demands knowing she could ill afford to scare her off now "But can you tell me what's wrong? I'm your friend so you can tell me what's been bothering you. Even just a little hint?

Yoshino averted her gaze as she tried to figure out what she could tell Miku without revealing too much

"A hint…" she muttered lost in thought

"**Lets just say it's an issue that's been building for some time" **

"Yes that works" Yoshino said agreeing with her hero's summary of the subject

Miku was only semi-satisfied with the answer, it gave her a very rough idea of what was going on but not much else to go on. Yoshinon calling it "pressure" seemed to indicate that whatever it was started off slowly and was getting worse with time but this was about as much as she could figure.

It wasn't much but it was a start and Miku would have to be a bit more careful about how she intended to press the issue. Yoshino's first instinct whenever she was presented with anything unpleasant was to run or hide meaning she couldn't afford to dig any deeper here without risking a full retreat again. She knew he best way to get any more info was likely to try and force Yoshino into a position where she couldn't run and slowly apply pressure until she finally gave up what she was hiding. Thankfully she realized that now had two major advantages to work with; 1: Yoshinon was trying like mad to undercut Yoshino's desire to keep her secret and 2: Miku had just been given the perfect way to corner the girl without resorting to tricks.

Standing up with a smile Miku clapped her hands together and said "Ok! Then we can begin!"

"Huh? Begin what?" asked Yoshino confused by Miku's enthusiastic outburst

"Your massage of course! We can start right now!" explained Miku happily

"Really?! I thought you needed time to prepare? I wasn't expecting you to be able to…ugh!"

"I've got everything here in one of my "special" rooms. We can do it tonight and make you feel all nice and better!" Miku grabbed Yoshino's hand and tugged her clean out of her seat

"Come along now dear! We have to get you all ready for your treatment!" continued Miku dragging a confused Yoshino across the room and into the hallway

"**See Yoshino I told you Miku would be eager to rub her hands all over your naked body!"** exclaimed Yoshinon as they began their trip to one of Miku's "Special" rooms


	2. The Cracks Revealed

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 2: The Cracks Revealed**

Author's Note: Well here's chapter 2. It was supposed to end here but the chapter ran on too long for that so it's looking like maybe 3-4 to be done unless I decide to continue past my first possible ending. Again sorry if this is hard to read I don't proof read or edit much and I'm getting back into writing after a good 8 year break. Anyone wants to help me sort through this mess send me a message because odds are I'm not going to anytime soon.

* * *

Miku's "Special" Room

As it turned out Miku had not just gotten a lot of work done at local spas, she had actually had a room reserved in her mansion specifically for private at-home sessions she wanted to book with any cute female specialists she found among the staff. The room was basically a small personal spa ideally fit to handle Yoshino's request and in less than a few minutes everything was prepared.

Yoshino came out of the changing room wrapped only in a towel as Miku worked to finish lighting the candles and incense required to get the mood just right dressed in a pink nurse outfit that she had worn to give Natsumi her treatment. Miku always enjoyed a chance to wear a cute costume and the nurse outfit was by far one of her favorites since she only got to wear it when doing something like this.

"La la la la" sang Miku cheerfully as she lit each candle

Besides the fact that singing came naturally to her Miku has hoping a light tune would put Yoshino more at ease and allow her to open up when she began pressing for information. Yoshino seemed to be in agreement as she stopped and listened with her eyes shut for a brief moment to Miku's voice ringing through the air, clearly she was enjoying the gentle notes and Miku took this as good sign.

"**As always a beautiful voice Miku"** complimented Yoshinon wearing a washcloth around his waist to mimic his owner

Miku gave the two a great big smile in response to the compliment

"Why thank you Yoshinon! I'd love to spend some time with you two one day and give you a little private concert if you want" offered Miku

"I'd...be ok with that some day Miku" respond Yoshino "That sounds like it'd be nice"

"(Light Laugh) Maybe after this we can start making plans for something like that ok?" asked Miku positively glowing from Yoshino's response

"Sure" answered Yoshino who actually broke into a small smile at the notion

'_Yoshino how can you be the spirit of Ice when you warm my heart so much!?' _thought Miku almost drooling at the idea of spending an afternoon with Yoshino just singing to her

She could already see the two of them sitting together on the couch smiling with their eyes shut as Miku filled Yoshino's head with her melodies

"_Big Sis your songs always make me feel so good!" said fantasy Yoshino snuggling up to Miku who proceeded to gently pat the girls head affectionately_

"That sounds great! I'm always open to spending more time with you and the rest of the girls" replied Miku "I wonder if Tohka, Natsumi, Kaguya, or Yuzuru would like to come over as well? I'd love to sing for them as well"

"Umm...well…I don't know" said Yoshino struggling to explain how that might not work

"**They're all still a little bit scared of well...you" **explained Yoshinon

"I know I can be a little bit "touchy" but that's no reason to be frightened" said Miku with a slight pout

Rather surprisingly Yoshino's eyes seem to light up with an unusual fire as she quickly moved to defend her

"I-I know Miku! You're our friend! You've helped us a lot since we met! There's no reason to be scared of you!"

"Yoshino…" said Miku deeply touched by the small girl's words in her defense and the zeal she had delivered them with

"**Yeah Miku! There's no reason to be afraid of you!" **began Yoshinon cheerfully before suddenly slipping into a lower and more foreboding tone **"That's something Yoshino had some issues with in fact..."**

Yoshino flinched as she brought her free hand to the puppets mouth as fast as she could in an effort to silence him before he could continue.

"So um...is everything ready?" asked Yoshino hoping to not give Miku the chance to catch onto what Yoshinon had just said

It appeared to work as Miku did a quick turn to make sure everything was prepared for the treatment

"Oil is out, candles are lit, table is clean, towels are set up" listed Miku before turning to Yoshino again

"You're all ready right? Went to the bathroom and put away your clothes?"

"Yes I'm good"

"**Yeah she made sure to take care of everything. She was super paranoid she'd have an accident on the table if she didn't"**

"Y-Yoshinon! That's disgusting!"

"**Hey it's what you were thinking about! Don't blame me for your paranoia"**

"Either way it's better to take of that before, I'm not sure how long this could take Yoshino"

"I hope not too long, I didn't really mention where I was going before I left"

"No one knows you're here?" asked Miku a little concerned

"I did mention it to Tohka quickly before I left but I'm not sure if was paying attention"

"**She was a tad bit preoccupied trying to unbend a frying pan in the kitchen"**

"Why was it bent?

"**She got super frustrated thinking about Origami and twisted it like it was a rolled up newspaper"**

"(Nervous Laugh )Anyway...you can call Shido if things run long so now let's get started"

"All-Allright" stuttered Yoshino as she hesitantly walked over to the table and laid down face first onto the padded surface with Yoshinon mimicking her posture

"Oh my! You forgot something important!" said Miku playfully as she walked over

"What's that?"

"This!" shouted Miku with glee as she ripped the towel off of Yoshino's body sending it flying through the air while the startled girl gave a shrill yelp at her sudden nudity

"**Remember to stay down unless you want to show off the girls" **warned Yoshinon as his owner tried to adjust to sudden sensation of having her bare naked behind exposed to the open air

Miku did not help matters much as she rapidly descended on Yoshino's naked form with twinkling eyes and began the massage treatment by spreading oils all over her back as quickly as she could

"That seems a little rough Miku" Yoshino tried to protest as Miku continued her work at an almost fanatical pace

"This is the way it's done, just trust me!" replied Miku who could barely contain her excitement in this situation

"**Relax Yoshino! You're only being oiled up in the nude by a perverted serial molester inside a hidden soundproof room! How could this be dangerous?"**

If Yoshino had looked up she would have seen Miku giving her the same look Tohka gave every sign that read all you can eat buffet, the look of a hungry predator who had just stumbled onto a glorious feast of easy prey. Her eyes were shining as worked her way all over Yoshino's soft skin eliciting a chorus of adorable squeaks and gasps from the younger girl who was doing her best to try and stay still despite all the sensations bombarding her.

"Miku that really does seem a little-OHHHHHHH!" moaned Yoshino mid sentence as Miku hit a tension point on her lower back sending jolts of relief throughout her body

"**Ohhh boy! You hit a weak point with that last one Miku!" **added Yoshinon sharing in his owners relief

"Those are called trigger points" corrected Miku feeling very satisfied with what she had just heard "If I work them juussst right you should feel MUCH better"

"Thank you Miku-uuuuu!" answered Yoshino getting rocked by another jolt powerful enough make her spasm before dropping into a relaxed posture complete with a goofy smile

"**I told you this was a good idea!"** said Yoshinon with pride

"Oh wow this feels so good" agreed Yoshino as she felt the tension that had building up in her body for weeks finally start to fade

It felt like a series of gentle waves was crashing across her back taking a little bit of the pain back out to sea with them as they passed. After so long of feeling like her entire body was on red alert and ready for combat at any time the complete shutdown of her muscles felt like utter heaven to her.

"**Finally feel a little more relaxed now?"**

"(Sigh) Yes, this really was a good idea Yoshinon"

"**That's what I've been telling you for the past two weeks!"**

"Thank you Miku, this feels amazing"

"Oh! (Evil laugh) No problem Yoshino. (Evil laugh) Yes it's all very VERY good!"

Miku seemed to be enjoying this far more than Yoshino based on how she was actively drooling as she continued to knead her body in search of more trigger points to hit. Each one she struck made Yoshino make the most amazing noises she had ever heard.

After the first few she was practically addicted to the sounds and like most addicts she wanted her next fix as soon as the last one had ended.

'_Cmon Yoshino! Make more of those sweet noises for me! They are a more beautiful music than anything even my angel has made before! More! I must have MORE!'_

"Waggh!" screamed Yoshino tensing up before flopping back down again

At this point Miku felt more like she was playing Yoshino like her keyboard instead of giving her a massage, timing each press just right to keep a steady stream of moans and small screams coming out of her mouth almost constantly. She had forgotten about why Yoshino had asked for this in her fervor and likely would not have remembered if it wasn't for a particularly loud scream coming from Yoshino after hitting another trigger point.

"Waaaaaaa!"

'_Ok that was...loud'_

Miku was surprised by just how much of a response that trigger had gotten when she remembered that something was wrong had a ton of tension in her body which she was helping to get rid of but she still did not know what on earth had caused it to build up in the first place! She had been so busy enjoying Yoshino's cute sounds she had forgotten to start pressing the girl for info on what had been hurting her!

'_Agh how could I forget!? I need to help her deal with whatever is hurting her!'_ thought Miku in frustration _'Ok I've had my fun and Yoshino's committed to the massage now so she's trapped in here with me. She seems to be relaxing so I should push slightly and see what I can get her to give up'_

Despite the small setback Miku knew she was now in the optimal situation to begin her questioning. All she had to do was press the girl slowly and read her response for when she needed to back off or apply pressure. Surely if darling could do this type of stuff all the time an amazing and talented Idol like herself could get a cute girl to open up with her most sensitive secrets as well too right?

'_Let my interrogation begin!'_

"My My Yoshino you really do have a lot of tension in your body, it's not good to leave it like this for too long. Lots of stress can play havoc with your skin if left untreated for too long" lectured Miku innocently

'_That's right just drop a little hint and she how she responds'_

"I know" admitted Yoshino keeping her answer plain and short

'_She knows she has a problem and is willing to admit it but how do I get her to start talking about it?'_ poundered Miku who wasn't given much to go on with such a short answer

Miku hit another trigger point to buy her enough time to think about what she could do next to pressure the girl

'_Time...'_ It came to her in a flash of brilliance_ 'Try and pin down a timeframe! That's all she let Yoshinon give as a hint before so maybe she won't guard it as well'_

"This must have been building up for some time now correct?" asked Miku trying to cover it up as more idle small talk to be made while she worked

"Ummm…"

Yoshino hesitated to respond for a second prompting Miku to try and work a new angle she thought might work

"Please don't tell me it's been a very long time?" she asked with much concern making sure to emphasize the word (very) for effect "You'll ruin your skin and look old by the time you're 30 if you let something like this go for far too long!"

"Ah no! It's only been a month or two! I don't want to look like an old lady at 30!

The change in tactics seemed to work as Yoshino blurted out an answer in an attempt to reassure Miku's worries

'_Wow I'm good at this. I should ask darling if I can handle dating the next spirit!'_

After that flash of confidence Miku realized she now had a rough timetable to work with assuming Yoshino had been telling the truth which it seemed like she did.

1-2 months was still a wide timetable but at the very least it included the whole time Miku had known Yoshino and gave her a way to eliminate possible causes for Yoshino's suffering.

"Ok so not too too long but still a fair bit of time. At the very least you came to me to help fix up some of the damage" stated Miku hoping to highlight the fact that Yoshino had come to her asking for help in an attempt to make Yoshino express some gratitude for the help and open her up for more questions

"Yes! Thank you so much Miku! This really does seem to be helping a lot!" said Yoshino gratefully falling right into Miku's manipulation

"**Yeah! Miku is a true friend right Yoshino?" **added Yoshinon driving the point home

"Yes, Miku is a really good friend to both Yoshinon and Yoshino!" agreed his owner hoping to make her gratitude very clear

'_I swear that puppet is trying to help me crack her' _though Miku noting how well Yoshinon seemed to play into her hand _'Ok then use the momentum and go with something bold!'_

"I'm very happy to be both your friends" started Miku happily and with a smile before suddenly giving a tired sigh and continuing in a slightly depressed tone "I just wish you'd tell me what was wrong. I hate seeing my friends feel bad and not know what I can do to help them feel better"

Yoshino's posture suddenly changed as her whole body tensed up on the table in response to the question. Miku couldn't see it from her angle but instantly a sad and contemplative look crossed Yoshino's face.

'_Agh! Was that too much?!'_

"**Oh trust us Miku that's a feeling Yoshino can identify with"** commented Yoshinon who clearly was more than willing to keep talking even if his owner clammed up

Not sure if Yoshinon was dropping another hint or just making a random comment Miku decided to tone it down and try to backpedal before she lost control of the situation

"There there Yoshino, I'm just a little worried about you that's all" reassured Miku gently giving her a few pats on the shoulder "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to"

"Um...alright" replied Yoshino slowly lowering her guard again as Miku got back to work in awkward silence

'_Darn it! I thought I could break through with that! Whatever she's hiding Yoshino is not going to give it up easily. From now on I'm going to have to be much more careful or else she could react like that again'_

It was clear now that this was not going to be an easy task since whatever it was that Yoshino was guarding pained her to the point she'd shut down rather than talk about it. Yoshino's method of dealing with bad things by running or hiding from them was on very vibrant display here and even one as used to dealing with people as Miku couldn't figure out a way to slip past her defenses unnoticed.

Before she could come up with her next plan Yoshino actually caught Miku off guard when she was the first one to re-start the conversation

"Miku" began Yoshino sounding pained "Please don't worry about me I'll be fine. I don't like making others feel bad when they don't have to so please don't worry"

"Yoshino…"

"I'll be fine, it's only a small issue I promise"

"**Ok we both know that's not true Yoshino" **replied Yoshinon sounding annoyed and almost bitter

"What are you talking about Yoshinon? It's nothing really" denied Yoshino attempting to force herself to sound happy in order to throw off any concern from Miku

"**Nothing? Nothing doesn't keep you up at night feeling sick, nothing doesn't make you squirm in your seat at meals, nothing doesn't make you want to pull your hair out in frustration. We both know this is NOT nothing!"** replied Yoshinon suddenly dropping into a stinging tirade angrily mocking Yoshino's dismissal of the issue

"Yoshinon please don't yell in front of others, it's bad manners"

Despite the sudden outburst Yoshino didn't seem to be too suprised by it unlike Miku who had never seen Yoshinon like this before in the short time she had know the two and could only stare at the seeming argument brewing before her.

Miku knew Yoshinon was a totally independent entity from Yoshino and that she had only a limited control over him despite only being her puppet but she never imagined she would ever see thing kind of fighting between a puppet and a human from someone not legally insane. What was more shocking was the fact that Yoshino appeared to be taking it from Yoshinon without completely shutting down like she had just from Miku's slight overtures.

'_They've had this argument before. There's no way Yoshino would be acting this calm unless she's already done this to the point she's used to it by now' _thought Miku realizing this must be a regular event between the two

It made sense, Yoshinon was Yoshino's method of dealing with the world and her problems so when something came along and hurt her badly enough he would naturally try and force it out of her if she refused to deal with it. Yoshinon was trying to get his owner to crack and spill whatever secret she was now hiding. It appeared he couldn't quite overcome Yoshino's defenses by himself but now that Miku knew what he was up to he wouldn't have to do it alone.

'_Yoshinon is the key'_

Despite how insane it may have sounded to anyone who didn't regularly deal with magic, killer robots, and secret organizations Miku was now relying on a small girl's rabbit puppet to help her find out what she needed to know. She needed to use him against her since Yoshinon was someone Yoshino couldn't hide or retreat away from no matter how badly she wanted to as well as the only one she was forced to share everything with. The plan was to find an opening and see if she couldn't get Yoshinon to start coughing up what ever secrets laid buried in Yoshino's mind.

"Are you two ok?" asked Miku hoping to cut the tension a bit before resuming the massage

"We're ok Miku, just a small issue like I said" lied Yoshino who was hoping to end the conversation before Miku could hear any more

"**We'll be ok, just a little pent up frustration coming out" **

"You're worried about Yoshino too aren't you Yoshinon?"

"**Yup she's been stubborn about this even before things started getting really bad"**

Yoshino tried to get up to muzzle him again with her free hand preventing him from talking however Miku moved to block this

"Please don't move Yoshino it makes this very difficult to do" interjected Miku switching over to massaging Yoshino's free arm suddenly to prevent her from stopping Yoshinon

"Ok...sorry"

"No problem but please don't do it again"

"I won't"

As much as Yoshino wanted to stop Yoshinon from talking her polite nature refused to allow her to interrupt the massage Miku was doing as a favor for her effectively pinning her arm to the table where she could do nothing about Yoshinon's outbursts

"You mentioned something about "before things got really bad" Yoshinon? So whatever it is only got bad recently?"

"**It started well over a month ago but the past few weeks have been terrible!" **exclaimed Yoshinon

"You're exaggerating" interrupted Yoshino in an attempt to downplay the issue "It hasn't been that bad"

"**Those bags under your eyes disagree with you. When was the last time you slept for more than 5 hours?"**

"It was just the other day Yoshinon"

"**Let me rephrase that. When was the last time you slept for more than 5 hours ****at night****?"**

"Um…"

"**Yoshino?"**

"Two weeks ago?"

"**17 days exactly. I've been counting"**

"Yoshino you can't sleep at night?" asked Miku greatly concerned for her

She had noticed the bags under her eyes before but the knowledge that the poor girl hadn't gotten a good nights sleep for two weeks came as a shock and did nothing to allay her fears for Yoshino's health.

"I've been taking lots of naps" deflected Yoshino

"**Not the answer to the question she was asking. The answer to her question is yes, you haven't been able to sleep well at night"**

"I just can't seem to sleep"

"**It's hard to sleep when you're so scared you feel like you're gonna puke!**

'_Like he mentioned before Yoshino is so worked up by whatever this is it's making her sick. I have to find out what's going on here, I can't leave her like this'_

The thought of Yoshino tossing and turning in bed in the early hours of the morning feeling terrible was almost too much for Miku to handle. There was a big difference in a small problem bothering you and something so bad that it could keep you up at nights feeling ill.

Despite her promise Miku knew that she might have to go to Rataoskr or at least Shido with this information if she couldn't get Yoshino to break here. No matter what she may think of her for breaking a promise there was simply no way she could afford to leave Yoshino in this kind of state without telling someone!

Miku was worried that if no one else realized that something was wrong with Yoshino it might be too late by the time anyone noticed and who knows exactly what could happen to her. This had to be dealt with no matter what it was, Yoshino's mental and physical health were on the line.

"Have you asked for any medicine or sleeping aids? I'm sure you could just say you aren't sleeping well at night and someone like Rene might help you without asking too many questions"

"**Too big a risk in Yoshino's mind, to her this is a problem that simply cannot be allowed to come to light"**

"Yoshinon can you please stop?" asked Yoshino worried "Miku doesn't need to know"

"**She doesn't just need to know Yoshino, she one of the few who ****deserve**** to know"** continued Yoshinon ushering in a drastic change in the mood and environment

That last line sent a shiver down Miku's spine in more ways that one as it was accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature that was the hallmark of Yoshino starting to lose control of her powers.

When a spirit was truly upset the seal on them would weaken and their powers would come back in a rather uncontrolled manner. For Miku the sound of her crying could brainwash people into being her zealots, for Tohka a portion of her monstrous power came back allowing her to smash buildings, for Natsumi her body transformed back into a sexy woman, and for Yoshino her powers to freeze things went out of control.

In addition to the burst of coldness Miku was taken back by what Yoshinon seemed to be suggesting with his last comment. He had mentioned she was one of those who "deserved to know" what was wrong with her. Who were the ones who deserved to know and what did that even mean?

How were they involved?

What did Miku do to qualify for that list?

Was it just her friends and those who would worry about her?

Miku couldn't shake the feeling Yoshinon had meant something more by that, something terrible

"I deserve to know?" asked Miku with an impending sense of dread

Whatever it was Yoshino feared discussing it to the point her powers started going out of control and that was never a good sign for a spirit

"**Yes Miku you were there when everything started falling apart. You might be the only one who can help Yoshino through this" **warned Yoshinon

And with that Miku stopped her massage and just stared at the puppet in shock. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all! Yoshinon wasn't just suggesting she needed to know about it because she was a friend, he was suggesting she needed to know about it because she had been involved in it!

'_I'm involved? He's saying I deserve to know because I was there?' _thought Miku

It made sense at least as far as the time frame went. Miku had known Yoshino for roughly two months now and that's when Yoshinon had indicated all this had started.

"Through what? What do you mean?" asked Miku worried by the dire language Yoshinon had just used

Miku bent down to ask the question to Yoshino's face and was greeted by the sight of Yoshino looking up at her from the table with a pained expression

"Miku-please. Stop! Just stop before I hurt you!" pleaded Yoshino with tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes

"Hurt me? How could you hurt me?"

What was going on here? How could this secret harm her if Yoshino explained what it was? How terrible could what Yoshino was keeping inside her be?!

"..."

Yoshino had shut down again in an attempt to keep her secret safe but by this point Miku was effectively done letting Yoshino runaway from the issue anymore and took a forceful stance with the young girl

"Yoshino please, whatever it is I need to know. What happened? Did I do something to hurt you or…" began Miku only to be cut off by Yoshinon's laughing

"**Ho Ho Ho Miku's getting close now Yoshino"** taunted the puppet clearly ecstatic with this development

"So that's it? I did something to you?"

"...I don't want to hurt you" squeaked out Yoshino still too terrified to talk much

Yoshino looked like she wanted to be anywhere else in the world right now but that did little to deter Miku who continued to try and get her to reveal what she had done to harm her.

It was infuriating to not know what crime she had committed against her friend that could cause this type of pain but Miku would not rest till she had found out and done everything her power to fix it!

"It's hurting me not knowing! Please! Tell me what I did! I want to know how I hurt you! How can I fix this if I don't know what I did?!" she begged

"I forgave you so it doesn't matter now!" erupted Yoshino bitterly just wishing the conversation would end

"**Yes it does! That whole night matters!"**called out Yoshinon bravely attempting to get through Yoshino's crumbling defenses

"You forgave me?..." asked Miku in shock

'_That night? She forgave me for something I did on a certain night?'_ thought Miku before feeling something very unpleasant start to boil inside of her. It wasn't complete but Miku had an idea of what was going on now and all the clues pointed to something she would have rather left buried.

The timetable, Miku's involvement, a crime against Yoshino, and one very unpleasant set of memories for the two girls.

'_Oh god no' _was what crossed Miku's mind as the pieces seemed to all fall into place

"Yoshino does this…" Miku gave a pause as she collected herself "...does this have something to do with what I did to you, Kaguya, and Yuzuru the night of the festival?"

Suddenly there was nothing but cold….

* * *

So there you go chapter 2 Chapter 3 is roughly 1/3 of the way done as I type so hopefully it won't take so long. For those wondering Yoshino's issue isn't as simple as those last few lines make it out to be. Things are gonna get more complex and very very sad next chapter.


	3. Poisoned by Fear

Broken Ice Chapter 3: Poisoned By Fear

* * *

_**Woosh!**_

Yoshino's powers did a better job speaking for her than her mouth ever could with half the room erupting into icicles in response to the word "festival". In matter of seconds the room was covered in hauntingly beautiful spikes of pure ice seemingly willed there by Yoshino's powers as a means to protect her.

Her eyes were wide and full of fear, her breathing slowed to painful gasps, sweat damped her skin despite the room now being almost frozen.

Yoshino was in the grips of a powerful panic attack that had sent her powers spinning out of control.

"That night! Don't mention that night!" uttered Yoshino in terror

"**Ah! This is much worse than the others!" **cursed Yoshinon who was being pressed against the table as Yoshino struggled to support herself with trembling arms.

"Yoshino!" called out Miku terrified for the poor girl as she rushed in to help

"**Miku no!"**

Yoshinon's warning came too late as Miku touched Yoshino on the shoulder to get her attention.

"You!" hissed Yoshino looking up to see a much different Miku than the childish girl wearing a nurse outfit that actually stood before her.

"_Come on back to big sis little Yoshino. You have a lot of stuff to do for me still. Forget about that horrible man and Tohka" said Miku fully clothed in her full astral dress seductively as she readied her keyboard of light._

"No!" screamed Yoshino causing her ice to descend upon a dumbstruck Miku sending hundreds of hardened icicles towards her.

Before Miku could even scream she found herself trapped by an encircling ring of frozen spears jutting out from the ground all pointed towards her.

They stopped short of actually hitting her but if Miku took so much as one set in any direction she would be skewered alive like the victim of a frozen iron maiden.

"_I'm going to play my song and make you remember your favorite big sister" spoke astral dress Miku playfully despite the ring of ice she was threatened with_

"I won't let you!" said Yoshino angrily as she stumbled off the table and used it as cover to protect herself from the illusion of Miku she was seeing

"**Yoshino get a grip!That's the old Miku!"** cried Yoshinon hoping to bring her back to her senses.

"I won't let you control me! I have to help Shido save Tohka! I have to stop Tohka from becoming that monster! I have to save everyone! I have to make sure everyone is safe!" Yoshino cried summoning a single icicle and holding it like a dagger for protection.

As she talked Yoshino's eyes kept frantically darting back and forth between the trapped Miku and random corners of the room like she was expecting an attack to come from the shadows at any time.

'_What's going on?'_ thought Miku scared by Yoshino's insane behavior

"Where are Kaguya and Yuzuru?! I need them! Everyone has to get home safe! I won't let you keep them!" screamed Yoshino shaking with both rage and terror

Miku didn't know how to respond, she didn't know where the twins were and even if she did she didn't know if telling Yoshino would calm her down in her current state.

"_Little sisters Kaguya and Yuzuru are already mine. Soon that horrible man and Tohka will be dead and you'll belong to me forever. None of you are going home!" taunted unsealed Miku making hand genstures over her keyboard_

"No! I won't let you use me like a puppet when Shido needs help! We have to save Tohka!"

"**Tohka is safe! You guys won that night and everyone got to go home! Don't do this!"**

"Everyone has to get home safe! Everyone has to get home safe! Everyone has to get home safe!" Yoshino grabbed her head in pain as she chanted those lines over and over again with her eyes closed.

'_She's completely mad with fear!'_ realized Miku trying to figure out how to get Yoshino to calm down

"Y-Yoshino?" asked Miku timidly causing the icicles around her to jut forward slightly in response

"Have to get home! Need to get everyone home!" muttered Yoshino to herself completely ignoring Miku

"**Yoshino! Everyone is safe! That night ended long ago!"** pleaded Yoshinon who for once was being ignored

"Yoshino what's wrong with you?!" asked Miku in desperation

"**Miku! Yoshino's hallucinating we have to snap her out of it!"**

"Hallucinating?"

"**Yes! Her fear is making her think it's the night of the festival again! She thinks you're in your astral dress and about to control her again while Shido and Tohka are in danger!"**

'_She thinks we're back at the festival?'_ wondered Miku thinking about what Yoshino was saying and her sudden outburst _'That means she thinks I'm unsealed!'_

"How do I help her?!" asked Miku now aware that Yoshino's fear had painted her as an enemy

"**She thinks you're going to use your solo! Tell her you're putting away your angel and that she and the twins are free to go help Shido rescue Tohka. Tell her she can go home!" **instructed Yoshinon

Miku took a deep breath and did her best to follow Yoshinon's instructions while Yoshino continued to speak to herself.

"Have to get Tohka! I don't want to fight Tohka! Where is Shido?!"

"Yoshino?" asked Miku

"Save everyone, everyone go home!"

"Y-Yoshino?" Miku asked louder trying to get through her panicked mumbling

"Shido? Where is Shido? Tohka's in danger!"

"Yoshino!" called out Miku as loud as she could

"Huh? Wha..?" uttered Yoshino in confusion looking at her

"It's ok, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm going to put my angel away and you, Kaguya, and Yuzuru can go help darli…um...Shido go save Tohka ok?" offered Miku trying to re-assure as much as she could her even going so far as to put her hands up like she was surrendering.

The move seemed to work as Yoshino looked like she was calming down slightly in response.

"You're not mad at Shido anymore?" she asked still maintaining a good grip on her icicle dagger.

"No, I was mad at him before but I forgave him. You don't have to worry about me doing anything to him or you" responded Miku gently playing along with Yoshino's illusion till she was acting sane again.

"You won't play your song and mess with our heads?" Yoshino hesitantly asked lowering her weapon

"No Yoshino, I won't control you ever again so please calm down. You and the twins can help Shido at anytime then everyone can go home" continued Miku gesturing for Yoshino to drop her weapon.

"Home yes…" Yoshino looked down in sadness and replied "That's all I want. I just want everyone to get to go home"

"I know Yoshino, I know. Just calm down" repeated Miku softly

"Home, just...everyone home" muttered Yoshino quietly to herself as the tension inside her finally snapped.

A sudden wave of weakness struck Yoshino who dropped her icicle to the floor.

**Clink!**

"I just want everyone to get home safely...I...I just...ow" she muttered one last time grabbing the side of table to support herself

Feeling the panic start to fade at the same time her body loosed up Yoshino finally came back to her senses feeling worn out and more than a little sick.

For a moment no one spoke as Yoshino caught her breath and Miku cautiously watched her from inside the prison of spikes.

'_Is it over?'_ wondered Miku praying the worst of it was behind them

"**Well I can't say that went as smoothly as it could have gone" **spoke up Yoshinon

"(Pant) Yoshinon did it (Pant) happen again?" asked Yoshino feeling winded and dizzy

"**Yup, think that one was the worst so far"**

"Am I ok now?" questioned Yoshino waving her hand in front of her face as though she was checking her vision for more hallucinations

"**That depends, look at Miku"**

"Miku?" asked Yoshino glancing up to see what she had done during her hallucination.

Instead of seeing the cruel unsealed Miku in her astral dress Yoshino had trapped in a prison of ice a minute ago there now stood a frightened and worried Miku dressed in a pink nurse outfit she had been wearing to give Yoshino a massage.

"Miku!" Yoshino yelled forgetting her modesty and running over to her still unclothed.

"Hold on I'll get you out!" yelled Yoshino forcing some of the ice to melt to the ground instantly with a splash.

In no time she managed to get rid of enough of the icicles to safely pull Miku out of the ring by the hand.

"Are you ok?" she asked once the two were free of the spikes.

"I think so" responded Miku glancing down to see if she was injured anywhere.

"Ah! That was close!" Yoshino said in relief upon hearing Miku wasn't hurt by her attacks.

"If those spikes got any closer I'd be a goner!"

"I'm so sorry Miku!" apologized Yoshino for what she had almost done

"Nevermind that! Are you ok Yoshino?!" asked Miku turning the tables "What was that?!"

Miku bent down and looked Yoshino full in the face, her eyes filled with panic and worry as she begged Yoshino to explain what just happened.

"**That was Yoshino's mind telling her it hates her" **joked Yoshinon in rather poor taste

"I just...lost control of my powers, that's all"

Yoshino had to avert her eyes from Miku's as she tried to weakly excuse away what had just occurred although this did little ease Miku's worry.

"That was much more than simply getting upset and losing control of your powers!"

Miku had accidentally unleashed her powers when upset before so she knew the feeling but this had been on an entirely different level. Yoshino had suffered from a panic attack powerful enough to make her see things and send her into hysterics at the mere mentioning of the festival!

"**Yeah sorry about that Miku. Should have warned you Yoshino can't really handle anyone bringing up that night"** apologized Yoshinon making Yoshino flinch in response

Miku gestured to the ice covering the room before asking "All this is because I mentioned what happened that night?"

"I just...I...it's…" Yoshino rambled off incoherently trying to find some way to explain all this away so she could just continue to ignore it.

Yoshinon spoke for his owner deciding to lay things out as simply as he could.

"**Yoshino will never admit it but she's still having trouble dealing with some things. The night of the festival and everything that happened is one of them" **he explained in a serious and somewhat sad tone as Yoshino looked down in shame

At long last her secrets were coming to light and she didn't even have the courage to reveal them herself.

As always it was Yoshinon she needed to finally force her feelings into the light.

'_I'm just so weak'_ Yoshino thought

"**These issues have built up over time and are making her sick, causing her to see things, even making her doubt if being sealed by Shido was a good idea to begin with"**

Miku was left dumbfounded by that revelation and could only stare in shock as she tried to make sense of it.

As if Yoshino suffering from fear induced hallucinations wasn't startling enough the idea that she regretted being sealed by Shido was much worse!

'_Impossible! Yoshino loves darling! We all do! What could make her doubt that!'_

It made no sense!

Yoshino had always looked so happy being with everyone whenever Miku had seen her and from what she had heard the little spirit's life before being sealed was a living hell. There couldn't be anything capable of making her genuinely believe staying that way could have been the better choice!

"That can't be! Yoshino you can't really think that!"

Yoshinon looked towards his owner knowingly and asked her to respond to Miku's question.

"**Yoshino?"**

'_I have to say this, I need the strength to admit even this much' _thought Yoshino knowing that she had to own up to this, it was the least she could do.

"Tell me it's not true! It can't be! It simply can't!" Miku repeated

After a brief pause Yoshino's body gave a great shiver before; without even looking up from the floor; Yoshino forced out words Miku never thought she would hear.

"It's true, I'm not sure if being sealed was a good idea anymore" said Yoshino fearfully as a tear dripped down her face "I used to think it was but now...I'm not sure"

The force of her words and their delivery almost knocked Miku clear off her feet.

"You...you actually think that?" asked Miku who was sent reeling in disbelief

Yoshino didn't break her pose as more tears began to stream down her cheeks and towards the floor where they froze instantly.

"What's the point? Why try and have friends, a normal life, or even love?" she began quietly before erupting into fury "Why even bother when someone is always just waiting to come along and take all that away!?"

Miku said nothing as Yoshino started screaming at the top of her lungs all the words she had been too ashamed to say for so long.

"I should have just stayed unsealed! I didn't have anyone who cared about me but that means I didn't have anyone to be taken away from me!" Yoshino yelled her first balled in anger

"**I know you're having a moment but ahem! I'm still here!"**

"I didn't have anyone to protect but myself and if I was too weak only I would have died! Why have friends when they could all be taken from you at any time! Maybe being alone is better than finding out how nice friends are only to have all of them disappear!?"

"Yoshino…" whimpered Miku almost more terrified by this new outburst than she had been of the last.

Yoshino stomped her foot angrily as she continued her tirade furiously yelling the whole while.

"I can't take it! I can't handle this anymore! I'm sick of feeling like I'm just waiting for something to go wrong! I'm sick of my friends being stolen! I'm sick of ME being stolen!"

A fresh ring of frost formed around Yoshino who by this point appeared to be almost foaming at the mouth in rage.

"I want to go to a festival and not wake up hours later with all my friends in danger! I want to enjoy Halloween and not wake up days later in a strange room with Shido crying because we're all safe! I want to enjoy a night with all my friends and not almost have everyone killed fighting an inverse! I want to have fun and not have to worry about being attacked anymore!"

Upon hearing Yoshino continue to scream out her frustrations something clicked in Miku's brain making her remember what Yoshinon had said earlier

"_She doesn't just need to know Yoshino, she one of the few who __deserve__ to know"_

It now made sense by what he had meant by those who "Deserve" to know.

'_Me, Natsumi, and Origami' _Miku realized

Yoshino was screaming about what the three of them had done before they had been sealed!

The ones who deserved to know had been involved in the incidents that had left Yoshino so utterly terrified.

"If I was still unsealed I'd be strong! I wouldn't have to be afraid of other spirits! I wouldn't have to be afraid of DEM!"

"**Let's face it you'd probably still be afraid"**

"But it would only be me in danger! If I had no friends no one could take them away from me! I wouldn't have to worry about when someone is going to be hurt, when someone is going to die!"

"You think one of us is going to die?" asked Miku timidly

Revealing a face full of tears and pain Yoshino looked up at Miku and responded in anguish

"I know we are!"

With that last scream a blast of chilled wind radiated out of Yoshino's naked body coating the area around her with yet more ice and frost.

Thankfully Miku wasn't hit but she was startled by how Yoshino's powers continuing to lash out in anger like this. Normally this type of display would set off massive alarm bells for Rataoskr however the fact that not even Miku's cell phone had gone off seemed to indicate they didn't know anything was wrong yet.

Shido had said monitoring of the other spirits had slipped a lot lately due to Tohka and Origami's fighting but even then it was hard to imagine Rataoskr could not notice Yoshino's powers acting up like this! Odds are they were busy keeping the peace between Tohka and Origami meaning that unless Miku called them in she was alone in dealing with this.

The thought crossed her mind to call darling or Kotori and ask for help after all she had heard but truthfully Miku wasn't sure if that would even be a good idea right now. Yoshino had been very clear that she didn't them finding out about this and after what had occured so far Miku didn't want to even hazard a guess as to what would happen if the ice spirit was upset even further.

By this point Miku could tell why Yoshino didn't want them to find out either. For a spirit to regret being sealed this much because they felt unsafe would not have gone over well with either Kotori or Shido. Both would probably view such a thing coming to light as a sign that they had failed on some level to take care of Yoshino; who more than likely wanted to avoid upsetting anyone by making them think they messed up.

Honestly someone HAD very clearly messed up since there was no chance Rataoskr would ever let Yoshino's mental state get this bad on purpose. Somehow Yoshino's suffering slipped under their radar and she had become unstable without them even noticing.

It didn't look like Yoshino was about to inverse quite yet so they still weren't at a critical level where it would be dangerous to keep quiet about this but if things went any further Miku would have no choice but to call and warn them to evacuate the area.

"I'm scared! I'm so scared!" cried Yoshino with her anger finally flaring out

"**You see Miku? This is what has happened to Yoshino. Her mind has been poisoned by fear"** Yoshinon spoke as his owner tried to stifle her tears

"What do you mean poisoned by fear?" Miku asked not sure what he meant

"**The spirits doing bad things to them, the battles, all the close calls. These have all left Yoshino feeling weak and vulnerable"**

"I AM weak and vulnerable" Yoshino pointed out

"**This is what has been bothering her since the night Tohka was taken. Yoshino hasn't been handling all the danger and stress as well as she let on. Each incident has left Yoshino feeling more and more like her happy little life with her friends is on the verge of collapse"**

"I thought you said Yoshino wished she hadn't been sealed?"

"**Yoshino is very happy with her life and all her friends, she's just scared out of her mind about losing it. A dark part of her mind is slowly trying to convince her that it was a mistake to have them in the first place, that you can't lose what you never had to start with"** Yoshinon explained highlighting Yoshino's cold logic

"You almost turned me and the twins into your slaves, we almost lost Thoka to DEM, Natsumi tried to seal everyone away, the town almost blew up, and Origami nearly killed everyone three times!"

"**All that in less than four months is a bit much for someone like Yoshino to handle Miku" **Yoshinon pointed out

Despite feeling a surge of guilt at her own crimes being mentioned Miku tried to calm Yoshino down.

"But everyone was ok Yoshino! Like you said all that stuff "almost" happened!"

"**That's one of the reasons Yoshino is in such a sorry state. She made the mistake of thinking back on all the bad things and how everything could have gone wrong"**

"What if Shido hadn't guessed Natsumi's disguise in time? If you never went to help Shido save Tohka? If Origami couldn't be calmed down? If we couldn't stop that bomb DEM dropped on the city? Just what would have happened to all of us? I keep thinking about all the ways things could have ended for all of us and none of them are good"

Yoshino couldn't even guess the number of times she had spent all night tossing and turning in her bed with her brain running through all the nightmare scenarios it could come up with.

After months of bashing her head against them all she ever came up with were images of pain and sadness, hundreds upon hundreds of outcomes where her happy little life with everyone she cared about was ruined.

She didn't even want to think about it anymore but it was like an obsession, every waking moment she wasn't thinking about something else her mind decided it wanted to run through another bad memory one more time and remind her how close she came to watching all her friends die or disappear.

"You can't think like that Yoshino!" warned Miku mortified by Yoshino's actions knowing they would only cause her more pain

"**That's just how she is Miku, bad memories stick around for ages inside her head while good ones eventually fade. She's always been that way even before she was sealed"**

"I really wish I could forget" Yoshino admitted

"**So now every time she thinks about how close everyone has come to being lost forever it scares the hell out of her"**

"If you keep doing that you'll go insane! You need to stop thinking about it!"

"I can't!"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't!" yelled Yoshino in frustration

"**Trust me Miku she's tried, it's like all the bad thoughts are stuck inside her head and she can't get rid of them. She keeps having nightmares about them and even hallucinations like the one earlier"**

It was clear that this wasn't something Yoshino could deal with on her own even with Yoshinon helping her meaning she needed her friends to get her through this.

"**The fear of what happened in the past is fueling Yoshino's dread of the future. By this point Yoshino has lost all faith that she'll ever be able to just be safe or happy with everyone. Everything seems to be falling apart in her eyes and now she's just waiting around for everything to come crashing down"**

"I just so scared about losing someone!" sobbed Yoshino "I'm tired of saying goodbye to everyone in the morning and thinking in the back of my head that it might be the last time I see them alive!"

Miku still couldn't believe this, she always knew Yoshino was a sensitive girl who didn't handle stress or danger well but she never imagined it could get to this level!

Yoshino was completely convinced that it was only a matter of time before she lost everything she held dear and the fear of losing what made her happy was slowly driving her insane.

"Oh Yoshino why didn't you ask for help sooner if it was this bad? None of us would want you to think being unsealed was a better way to live! I know everyone would help you!" said Miku feeling so sorry for Yoshino after finding out the pain she was dealing with all by herself

"How am I am supposed to tell them?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't just go to everyone and tell them I'm so convinced we're all going to die or disappear I wish I had never been sealed! I can't tell them I'm still scared about all the bad stuff that's happened to us! I can't just tell them I'm such a huge crybaby!" said Yoshino ashamed at just how pathetic she was

"You're not a crybaby! Our life is very stressful and it's just a bit too much for you to handle! They'll understand!" replied Miku who knew that absolutely none of the other girls would ever even consider mocking someone in this much pain

"I'll only be a burden! Compared to everyone else I'm a pathetic weakling crying in a corner!"

"There's no shame in feeling scared after everything that's happened to you Yoshino!"

"Kaguya and Yuzuru don't mind everything that's happened to them, they aren't scared!" argued Yoshino who never once seen either of the twins look frightened in battle

"You are not Kaguya or Yuzuru! You're Yoshino!" Miku pointed out

"Yes and Yoshino is a weak crybaby who has nightmares every night!" shot back Yoshino

"Everyone feels fear Yoshino, being frightened by the thought of your friends being hurt doesn't make you a crybaby. It makes you someone who cares very deeply about others and wants to see them safe"

"**Miku you've been scared by some of what's happened lately too right?"** asked Yoshinon interrupting their argument

"Of course! I nearly had a complete breakdown when Natsumi was about to seal me in her mirror!" replied Miku remembering the fact that it was actually her brief hysterics that allowed Shido to save everyone

"You did?" asked Yoshino curiously

"I thought I was about to trapped forever in a mirror with everyone else. I was so scared I tried giving darling my hair clip so he'd have something to remember me by when I was gone" answered Miku truthfully

"I didn't know that" said Yoshino who had been erased for days by the point this had happened

"**See Yoshino! Everyone gets scared when enough bad things happen to them!"**

"Yes! So please, let someone help you Yoshino!" begged Miku who appeared to be finally getting through to Yoshino

"Do you think even Kaguya and Yuzuru get scared too? Tohka? Kotori?" wondered Yoshino out loud

"**Considering the fact that a spirit goes inverse when they're scared enough Tohka and Origami are a given. It wouldn't surprise me if the others felt afraid at times too" **pointed out Yoshinon

"Even the best of us feel fear Yoshino, I'm sure if you talk to everyone you'll understand that and they'll help you through this" argued Miku wanting Yoshino to finally admit she needed help from her friends

"How can they help?" Yoshino asked still feeling depressed

"We can talk things out, we can promise to protect each other and keep each other safe" answered Miku only to get a rather dark reply from Yoshino

"Then that's pointless" she said grimly dashing Miku's hopes

"Pointless?"

"Everyone is already doing everything they can to protect us and it's not enough!" shouted Yoshino bitterly

"**Yoshino knows everyone is already trying their best. There's no point in asking everyone to try their hardest when they're already doing that and the bad things keep happening anyway" **explained Yoshinon

"There's no point in making a promise you can't keep! No one can promise me that we'll all be safe with other spirits and DEM out there!" Yoshino continued to yell "There's just no way to guarantee we'll be safe against enemies that strong!"

"**People can make lots of promises but some are just impossible to keep. Shido and the rest of the girls could promise to keep Yoshino and themselves safe but that won't mean much if Nightmare ever decides she feels like killing us all and eating Shido"**

'_Dammit he's right!' _Miku realized knowing that such words would be pointless

The spirits could fight their hardest, Rataoskr could do everything in their power, even Shido could be at his best and there would still never be a way to keep everyone absolutely safe from danger.

A promise to protect Yoshino and her friends pretty much was worthless since it was truthfully a promise that would be impossible to keep against the scale of the enemies they faced.

Natsumi and Miku proved how easy it was for unsealed spirits to abduct and manipulate sealed spirits, Origami and Nightmare proved how easily the girls could fall in battle, and DEM and the AST were giant organizations dedicated to capturing and killing spirits with almost unlimited resources and all the time in the world.

'_I can't make her feel better by promising to protect her since she know's it can't be kept. What can I do to help her then?'_ Miku though struggling with the problem she now faced

'_She's letting fear of the past dictate her life, she's tempted by the power of a unsealed spirit to protect herself, she's considering running away from her loved ones just to spare herself the pain of loss...'_

As Miku thought about it something dawned on her, something very familiar

'_Oh my god!...She's turning into me! The old me! The unhappy me!'_

Yes as odd as it sounded to be comparing the two girls it sounded like Yoshino was slowly falling into that dark pit of despair and fear that Miku had narrowly managed to escape when Shido had entered her life.

Miku had suffered unimaginable pain in her past life and sought to protect herself from such pain by abusing the power only a spirit could posses. She had abandoned the idea of friends or loved ones in exchange for servants mindlessly loyal to her, those who could never leave her or hurt her again even if they wanted to.

Now here was Yoshino beginning to think only the true power of a spirit could keep her safe and that it might be better to have no loved ones that could be taken away from her.

'_No no no no! I won't let Yoshino get like that! I spent too much time in the miserable hellhole of that despair to ever let someone else make that mistake!'_ thought Miku incensed by the idea that someone as nice as Yoshino could end up in such a state as she had been for months

'_I have to help her and I need to do it now! I need something...some way to help her through this!' _

Despite her determination Miku didn't know what to do, the drive was there but she had no idea how to help Yoshino get through all the fear she was feeling.

'_Maybe I should just call darling?' _wondered Miku believing Shido would probably be the best person to help Yoshino through this

'_He was there to help me see clearly even if I didn't want to, he was the one to finally be someone I could rely on and drag me out of that dark place, he promised to be there for me no matter how bad things got, he….THAT'S IT'_

Like a bolt from the blue it struck Miku what she needed to do to help Yoshino, the poor girl couldn't accept a promise that everything would be perfectly fine and that nothing else bad would happen but there was another promise Miku COULD make.

"Yoshino…" addressed Miku in a dead serious tone

The blue haired girl looked at the idol after stopping her latest round of venting seemingly caught off guard by her sudden shift in tone.

"...You're right. I can't make you a promise that everything will be fine and that Tohka-san, Kaguya-san, Yuzuru-san, Darling, and everyone else will be safe and that all bad stuff will stop happening"

"**Great pep talk so far Miku"** taunted Yoshinon

"I can't promise you that there won't be more battles, more kidnappings, or even that everyone will survive whatever comes for us. It's cruel to make promises to cute girls you know you can't keep so I won't make one like that"

"Miku?" asked Yoshino actually worried about how the idol was now speaking

"**Sounds like your doom and gloom talk infected her mind too!"**

"Yoshino I won't make you a promise I know I can't keep since that wouldn't be fair to you. However...there is a promise I can make you" offered Miku

"What promise?" Yoshino asked wondering just what Miku was talking about

"It may not be much but all I can promise Yoshino is to be there for you" began Miku passionately

"I can't guarantee your safety or anyone else's but I can at least always try and be there for you. To make the good times happy for you, to help get you through the dark times. The only thing I can truly offer is to try my best to be a good friend and help you deal with all this pain and fear you feel"

As she continued both girls started to cry feeling a wave of overwhelming emotion crash over them.

"I'll laugh with you when we have fun, I'll fight alongside you when the battle starts, I'll cry with you and attempt to dry your tears when something bad happens."

Yoshino just started at Miku, her eyes choked with tears as her friend continued her impassioned plea to help Yoshino deal with the doubt and pain.

"I remember what it was like to run away from everything, to hide behind spirit powers after the world hurt me. For a while I thought there was no point in having loved ones if they could just leave you too so I buried myself in mindless servants and even made you, Kaguya, and Yuzuru into my toys for a little while. It wasn't till darling came and showed me how wrong I was that I realized that living like that was a mistake!"

"**A life with no friends to lose, always running from the pain of the past, all the while clinging to raw power to protect yourself. It sounds like you lived what Yoshino now wants"**

"That's no way to live! I'd rather die with my friends then ever go back to being like that!" Miku screamed

"But what if…"

"No Yoshino! Friends are what make life worth living! Even if something goes wrong! Even if some of us don't make it! As long as we enjoy the time we have together it will be worth it! No matter what you can't think being sealed by darling was a mistake! That having friends was a mistake!"

"I'm scared, I don't want to be alone" Yoshino sobbed

"I know, so please let me fulfill my promise to be a good friend to you. Let me help you carry the burden of your worries and help to clear your mind of all this fear. Just let me be there for you" Miku said reaching forward and softly taking Yoshino's free hand with one hand as the other took out a handkerchief and began to wipe away some of Yoshino's tears.

"**So what do you think Yoshino? She can't promise everything will be ok but how does a good shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to sound instead?" **asked Yoshinon summarizing Miku's offer to his owner

Yoshino did her best to stifle her crying and wipe away whatever tears Miku had missed all the while still holding Miku's hand.

With a few sniffles and a deep breath Yoshino managed to calm herself to give both Miku and Yoshinon a truthful answer.

"It's not perfect..." Yoshino gave Miku as much of a smile as she could muster before adding "...but it's enough"

Despite her own moistened eyes Miku couldn't help but let out a gentle chuckle or two under her breath as the tension in the room finally broke. At long last the dark atmosphere Yoshino had

been emitting seem to slowly fade away along with the ice it had brought.

**Crack!**

**Glunk! **

**Splash!**

The two girls continued to hold eachothers hands as all around them semi-melted chunks of ice began to fall from the walls and ceiling temporarily forming puddles on the floor before seeming to just disappear as Yoshino's powers caused them to vanish.

Neither girl said anything till and continued to just look at eachother until the last of the ice had been cleared leaving the room exactly how it had been before Yoshino had suffered from her hallucination.

"**Nice work on the clean up Yoshino"** complimented Yoshinon snapping the two girls out of their moment

"Huh? Oh yeah" replied Yoshino realizing all the ice was now somehow gone

"Sorry about freezing the room Miku" she added quickly getting back into her routine of politeness

"It's no problem"

"**Now then are you gonna keep all that bad stuff bottled up inside you anymore Yoshino?"** Yoshinon asked sounding like a parent making sure their child had learned their lesson.

"No, I'll let Miku help me. I won't try and deal with it by myself" replied Yoshino

"I promise Yoshino I'll do everything I can to help you get better!" vowed Miku with determination

"**Maybe we can ask Rataoskr or someone else for help too?" **Yoshinon hinted

"I'd really like to avoid that for now if it's ok. I'm still nervous about what everyone will think if they found out" Yoshino said expressing her concerns.

"**Getting help from one friend is a good start Yoshino but you have lots of friends now and I'd bet they'd all be willing to help you if they knew how bad you felt"**

"I'm sure they would but I'm still worried"

"Let's start with us then" offered Miku in a comforting tone "It'll be our little secret until you feel ok talking about it with everyone else"

"You promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I do"

"Thank you Miku, for everything" said Yoshino gratefully

"It's no problem"

"**Still let's start thinking about who else might be able to help and what we actually want to do to make you feel better"**

"I'll think about telling some of the others but I really don't have any idea where to start even with Miku's help" Yoshino truthfully admitted

"**I believe we came here for a back massage?"** Yoshinon suggested **"That's a place to start"**

"Oh! I can't ask Miku to finish after all this!" said Yoshino with a blush

In all the commotion she had actually forgotten about the entire reason she had come here in the first place!

But how could she ask Miku to work on her again after the drama the two of them had just been through?!

"Now then he is right Yoshino" began Miku making a pouty face "As a idol I pride myself on my work and leaving you half done is like leaving a concert before the encore!"

Without so much as a warning Miku scooped up the still fully naked Yoshino and carried her princess style towards the bed.

Yoshino gave a startled yelp as Miku plopped her back on the bed frontside up only for her to forcefully roll Yoshino over a moment later leaving only her derriere and back exposed to the open air.

Miku grabbed the bottle of oil that had been dropped on the floor and readied her hands to get back to work with a most sinister smile crossing her face.

"Now then! Since It looks like all that excitement undid most of my work I have no choice!" began Miku with her eyes sparkling "I'm going to have to start ALL OVER AGAIN!"

"W-what?!" asked Yoshino feeling somewhat uneasy

It was truly amazing how fast Miku's brain could switch gears when it came to cute girls.

"Don't worry Yoshino now that I know just how bad your stress is I'm going to be MUCH MORE thorough!"

The way Miku started to drool as she said that line terrified Yoshino who tried to get up only to have Miku descend upon her in a torrent of oil and rubbing.

"Miku! WAAAH! That's so...OH! Careful down there! AAHH!"

"**Relax Yoshino! I'm pretty sure you don't honestly need your virginity for anything anyway!"**

* * *

Author Note: To behonest I'm not totally satisfied with how the chapter came out but this is the best I could come up with after totally scrapping what I had and starting from scratch three times. Hope you enjoy anyway and the next chapter is basically done by this point so it should be along soon-ish.


	4. Song of Pain and Healing

**Broken Ice**

**Chapter 4: Song of Pain and Healing**

* * *

After the initial rough handling Miku did eventually tone it down a bit once she had her fill of ecchi worthy noises and things settled into much more relaxed mood with Yoshino enjoying the massage as Miku worked.

Much like the first massage Yoshino just laid back and let Miku work her magic, a contented smile plastered across her face.

Every once in a while the younger girl would let out a relieved sigh or bring her hands together to play with Yoshinon a bit.

It melted Miku's heart to see Yoshino so relaxed after hearing about everything she had been going through these past few months.

'_This is a nice start but I need to figure out what else I can do'_ thought Miku knowing that while Yoshino had calmed down for the moment and the massage was a nice start there was still a lot of underlying issues that needed work.

Unless Miku could help deal with the mental issues that caused the stress to begin with helping to relieve some of the pain was about as helpful as giving someone with a knife stuck in their chest a band aid.

'_What am I supposed to do about all this? I'm an Idol not a psychiatrist' _pondered Miku feeling depressed

She wanted to help Yoshino but this was well beyond anything she knew how to handle herself. Also Yoshino still didn't want anyone else involved in this so that meant she had to somehow deal with this without letting anyone from Rataoskr or darling know.

'_Darling…' _

Miku's mind drifted a little when she thought about Shido and how he'd react to all this.

At first Yoshino's fear of him finding out something was wrong didn't make sense to Miku.

Shido cared deeply for all the girls and would stop at nothing to make them feel better no matter what he had to do.

'_That's what makes him so great!'_ Miku thought dreamily

However thinking it through Yoshino's desire to keep him from knowing about all this suddenly made much more sense.

Shido hated getting the girls involved in anything dangerous and deeply regretted asking for their help in combat even against the most powerful enemies.

If he found out that getting dragged into combat again and again was putting Yoshino through this much pain he'd feel guilty about it.

Worse he might suspect the other girls secretly felt the same way and might hesitate to call upon them when they were needed, putting his own life in danger in order to keep them happy.

There was not a doubt in Miku's mind that Shido would do something like that if he found out about Yoshino's suffering meaning she had to help Yoshino through this quietly for both their sakes.

'_But how?'_ wondered Miku

Yoshino needed some serious help getting her mind back into order; the type of work best done by a professional, but all Miku was qualified to do was sing and try and be a good friend.

'_I suppose I could try reading up a little bit although I'm not sure how much good that would do'_ Miku thought

Her grades had been somewhat decent even after she had stopped mind controlling her teachers into giving her straight A's but she wasn't exactly a genius ready to take on psychology.

Asking someone smarter like Rene for advice seemed like it would raise a lot of suspicions with Rataoskr and attempting to get professional outside help would be quickly picked up by them as well.

'_How do I do this? I can talk with her about what's bothering her but will that be enough? Just to talk about it?'_

That seemed far too simple to actually work, helping someone with this much trauma couldn't be that easy.

Could it…?

'_Talking with darling about what hurt me helped me feel a lot better'_ thought Miku remembering the heart to heart she had Shido while the two of them were working their way through DEM headquarters.

It seemed rather absurd to receive counseling while fighting through dozens of armed guards with a massive battle going on outside but somehow Shido's words had reached Miku during that fight and allowed her to move on from her own pain.

'_Maybe it is that simple? Maybe just to talk to her will be enough?' _Miku wondered before thinking '_Although I'd much rather sit down and talk with her accompanied by snacks and tea rather than gunfire this time'_

Miku had no idea if it would be enough but she figured just sitting down with Yoshino and talking about her problems was a great place to build off from.

The two of them could get together and Yoshino could just vent like she had done earlier about anything that was upsetting her while Miku tried to make her feel better.

'_I just need to figure out where to start first'_

As Miku thought that a memory kept into her head from earlier

"_Yoshino will never admit it but she's still having trouble dealing with some things. The night of the festival and everything that happened is one of them" _Yoshinon had said

'_Everything that happened….' _thought Miku as more memories popped up

"_I want to go to a festival and not wake up hours later with all my friends in danger!"_

"_I'm sick of my friends being stolen! I'm sick of ME being stolen!"_

"_I won't let you control me! I have to help Shido save Tohka!"_

"_You almost turned me and the twins into your slaves!"_

"_You won't play your song and mess with our heads?"_

"_**Yeah Miku! There's no reason to be afraid of you!" **__began Yoshinon cheerfully before suddenly slipping into a lower and more foreboding tone __**"That's something Yoshino had some issues with in fact..."**_

With a brutal logic the perfect place to start made itself known to Miku who at this point had kept a painful truth out of her head.

'_Yoshino is still mad at me for controlling her with my angel'_ she realized as all the hints piled up in front of her

It was a tough pill for Miku to swallow but if what Yoshinon said was true Yoshino never fully dealt with everything that had been done to her these past months including being brainwashed by her solo.

Even if she wasn't consciously angry about it Yoshino still sounded like she never quite forgot about what had been done to her.

It may have been anger or it may have just been fear but Yoshino's hallucination earlier and everything she had said clearly pointed out it was something that still bothered her.

As much as she hated to admit it, if Yoshino was still bothered about being controlled as much as Miku suspected she was that issue made a perfect place to start with Yoshino.

"Yoshino I'm wondering something" Miku began drawing Yoshino's attention

"What is it?" Yoshino replied innocently having no clue the magnitude of what was coming.

With all the hesitation of someone lifting up a tarp to identify a loved one's body Miku asked Yoshino a difficult question.

"When Yoshinon mentioned you had a hard time dealing with everything, did that include being controlled by me?"

The words hit Yoshino with the force of a heavy bomb being dropped on her from the air sending her reeling.

As with every other time Yoshino had been asked a tough question her first reaction was to panic and try to find a way to deflect.

"Um? Kinda? Not really!?" she answered obviously lying

"Yoshino please tell me the truth. I need to know what you actually think" Miku responded seriously

Not knowing what to do Yoshino turned to her hero for answers.

"**Probably best to be honest with her this time, you went on a naked rampage the last time you tried to keep a secret from her" **pointed out Yoshinon

"You're right I suppose" reluctantly agreed Yoshino who didn't want to keep any more secrets after she promised to talk with Miku about whatever bothered her

"I promise I won't get angry or sad so please tell me the truth. Are you still upset over what I did to you and the twins?" asked Miku again

Taking a moment to calm herself Yoshino gave a brief but honest answer.

"A little" she squeaked confirming Miku's suspicions

"**Truthfully? She's still a more than a little bitter about that"**

'_I knew it'_ thought Miku in disgust

"Are you mad at me?" Yoshino asked upon seeing Miku's face adopt a pained expression

"What?! Of course not! How could I be mad at you?!" asked Miku surprised

"You said you were sorry to all of us and I still haven't gotten over it yet, that's not what a good person would do when someone says they're sorry" said Yoshino explaining her feeling of guilt

"Yoshino you have nothing to feel guilty about!" Miku exclaimed utterly amazed Yoshino found someway to feel guilty about not forgiving someone who nearly turned her into a slave.

"**Why ask about it anyway?"** Yoshinon wondered

"I was thinking about how to help Yoshino overcome all her problems. I figured if she still had any issues with what I did it'd be easiest to start there" Miku explained

"Start what?" Yoshino asked confused

"Just talking about all of it really. You could tell me how you feel about the stuff that's been bothering you,I would listen, and then we'd try and make you feel better about it"

It wasn't an elegant plan but it still was a plan nonetheless.

"**That could really help actually!"** Yoshinon excitedly interjected

"You think so?" Miku responded

"**Yeah! Yoshino's still got a bunch of questions and worries about that since she can't actually remember it. She could ask you questions and you could answer them and hopefully she'll stop thinking about them!"**

"What type of questions?"

"I'm still a little bit worried about what I did while I was under your control. I can't remember it but I know I did some bad stuff" Yoshino sadly explained

A side effect of being brainwashed by Miku was usually the victim had no memories about what happened afterwards meaning Yoshino had no real idea what she had been up to aside from the fact that she attacked Shido.

"**Without those memories Yoshino's imagination and fears have been left to fill in the blanks. Maybe getting some facts might fix that for her"**

"Ok then!" said Miku regaining her composure "The two of us will sit down some time and you can ask me anything you want, I'll answer your questions, and together we'll figure out what we need to do for me to make it up to you!"

"Miku you don't need to do anything else, you said you were sorry to all of us and no one even got hurt" Yoshino replied feeling that forcing Miku to do anything else would just be greedy on her part

"I did something rather terrible to the three of you and clearly it still bothers you, if not for your sake then for mine I have to do anything I can to help you feel better" reassured Miku

The thought that Yoshino never completely forgave her for her actions disturbed Miku to the point she felt like she HAD to do something now even if Yoshino didn't want to.

She couldn't just leave things as they were and still carry a clear conscience or even feel like she could properly call herself Yoshino's friend.

Hell by this point she was considering hunting down the twins after this and seeing what they still thought about it. If Yoshino still had a hard time handling it there was a slim chance Kaguya or Yuzuru had similar feelings!

"**Besides saying "I'm Sorry, now let me molest you!" was kind of a weak apology for stealing your mind" **Yoshinon commented

Trying to ignore the dark; albeit truthful; words of Yoshinon Miku asked if she was willing to give her plan a try.

"What do you think Yoshino? Are you willing to talk with me about it?"

"I guess…" Yoshino reluctantly agreed still not feeling convinced that she wouldn't hurt Miku's feelings

"**Miku just to warn you, things aren't as cut and dry as you may think. Something kinda happened so answering these questions may get unpleasant quickly"**

"(Gulp) I'll answer them no matter what" replied Miku secretly terrified by what that could mean but not want wanting to break her calm composure in front of Yoshino

"Do we have to do it now? I'm still a little tired from before"

"No we can do it anytime you want" answered Miku

She could understand Yoshino's wish for a delay, Miku was feeling a little emotionally worn out too after the day's events.

"Maybe I can come over another day and we can talk about it then?" Yoshino wondered

"**Oh! Oh! I got a really great idea!"** Yoshinon spoke up loudly

"What is it?"

"Yoshinon you have an idea?"

"**Yoshino how about you stay over at Miku's house for a few days?"**Yoshinon suggested

"Huh?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea but why?" asked Yoshino

"**Think about it! You can hang out with Miku and try and deal with all your head problems without worrying about anyone else finding out!"**

"I think he may be onto something Yoshino, if you stay with me for a few days we can talk all we want in secret. Rataoskr doesn't monitor my house as much because I'm stable so they'll never find out and we won't have to hide anything from the other girls" explained Miku

It made perfect sense, Yoshino and Miku could do anything wanted to and if surely Rataoskr wouldn't find Yoshino wanting to spend a few days with a friend that suspicious.

Yoshinon's idea would give them all the time in the world to work with and gave the two of them the perfect cover story.

"Plus we can try and have some fun together to help get your mind away from all those bad thoughts in between" added Miku sweetly

"Fun?"

"**Remember fun Yoshino? It was that really nice thing you had lots of before your brain started to hate you"** joked Yoshinon

"I take it Yoshino hasn't been having much lately?" guessed Miku

"**You try having fun when you're busy looking out the window every ten seconds for a DEM ambush!"**

"I still have fun from time to time" defened Yoshino

"**You've barely left the house since Origami was sealed because you're worried about everyone being attacked while you're too far way to help them"**

"Is this true Yoshino?" Miku asked concerned only to have Yoshinon reply

"**Besides dropping off that letter yesterday and a few group outings set up by Kotori this is the first time Yoshino's left the house in weeks! All she's been doing is watching TV inside all day long with Natsumi and I think even she's getting bored of it!"**

Natsumi really cared deeply for Yoshino and considered the ice spirit her best friend in the world however it was becoming clear that doing nothing but watching TV together all day was getting old fast.

If it wasn't for Natsumi's own insecurities she would have suggested they do something else weeks ago.

"What if we get attacked while outside or someone attacks the house? I can't just leave!"

"**Face it Yoshino you need some time away from the mansion and TV, some fresh air and fun would do you a world of good at this point"**

"I'm sure everyone else can handle themselves just fine while you're away Yoshino" added Miku believing Yoshinon's assessment that she desperately needed a change of scenery for a while.

"**Besides I don't even think Nightmare or DEM would be stupid enough to try and get between Tohka and Origami now"**

"Is it really that bad?" wondered Miku

"**Those two are ready to rip each other limb from bloody limb! God help anyone who they can focus their aggression on without upsetting Shido!"**

"They're really scary when they fight like they did last week" replied Yoshino fearfully before adding "I didn't even think a hamburger could start such a huge battle!"

"**It's Tohka, food is her religion"** Yoshinon pointed out

"It really might be for the best if you left the house for a few days and stayed with me Yoshino" offered Miku feeling that getting Yoshino out of the house was a bit more important all of a sudden.

'_Odds are those two aren't helping matters much' _she thought knowing a active war zone wasn't exactly a relaxing place to be for someone in Yoshino's state.

Considering the offer and what both her hero and Miku had said Yoshino made her decision.

"I guess it sounds like a good idea, staying over for a few days couldn't hurt" Yoshino relented

"Perfect!"

"I won't be a bother will I Miku?" Yoshino asked worried about intruding on Miku's home

"It'll be no bother at all! I've honestly wanted to have you and the rest of the girls over for ages so now's my chance!" raplied Miku happily

Despite the unpleasant work they had to do Miku could think of few better things in life than the idea of having Yoshino stay over with her for some nice bonding time.

"We can stay up late and talk! We can play games! We can talk about darling! I can sing you lullabies! We can share a bed together! I can help you find cute new clothes to wear" listed Miku out loud getting more and more excited as the activities got more "fun" in her opinion

"We can take cute pictures together! I can give you more massages! We can take a bath together! I can have you wear all those cute costumes I picked out for you!"

"**Um costumes?"**

"We can listen to my newest album! We can watch scary movies together while I comfort you in my embrace! We can…."

Miku finally stopped when she noticed Yoshino was giving her a strange look from the table.

"What's wrong?" Miku asked

"You were drooling...a lot" pointed out Yoshino

"Hehe oops! Just got a little excited" excused Miku wiping her mouth

"That all sounded really nice Miku" commented Yoshino who really did like the idea of doing most of that stuff with Miku

"**Even some of the rapey stuff didn't sound too terrible!"**

"You think you could sing to me like you promised?"

"Do you still want me to?" asked Miku looking uncertain

"I thought you really wanted to sing to me?" Yoshino asked noticeably confused as to why Miku would now think she didn't want to hear her songs

"I do but…well I wasn't sure if you still would after hearing how much my music hurt you at the festival" worried Miku

"What?! No!" Yoshino replied sharply "I still love your singing Miku it's really beautiful!"

"**Yoshino really does adore your singing Miku, she's just not a fan of that particular tune" **elaborated Yoshinon referring to her solo

"I don't really like hearing your control song because of what happened that day but the rest of your music is fine"

"I'm so glad, I though for a second my stupid actions turned Yoshino off my music for good!"

"It didn't, in fact could you maybe sing a little while you finish off my massage?" asked Yoshino blushing

"**Time to take to the stage!"** cheered Yoshinon

"You really mean it?" asked Miku with a radiant smile

"We can talk about the bad stuff you did with your music to me Kaguya and Yuzuru another time. For now I want to hear you sing" reassured Yoshino returning Miku's smile

'_She wants to hear me sing! Just the two of us! Well I suppose three but who cares! Yoshino wants me to sing to her!'_ thought Miku feeling as though her heart could burst out of her chest at any moment

With her heart fluttering and a glowing smile Miku opened her mouth and began to sing her heart out while Yoshino closed her eyes and listened on the table.

It was something she had been working on that she hoped to debut at concert coming up in a day or two. It was a slow gentle tune meant to soothe the hearts of the audience in between her more lively and energetic songs.

The only problem was that it wasn't complete yet with over half the lyrics missing. Miku had a clear rhythm locked down in her head but could never quite get the words to match in spite of multiple rewrites.

Miku had no idea why she had chosen an incomplete song to sing, it was just the first thing that began to flow from her lips and sometimes in art you need to let things flow naturally when they start.

Yoshino hardly seemed to care as she bobbed her head along with the tune and even began to hum along with Miku when the lyrics suddenly cut off from time to time.

Even Yoshinon was getting in on the fun as Yoshino made her puppet dance across the table like a ballerina to the music.

Thus that was how the three of them spent the remainder of Yoshino's back massage, just relaxing and enjoying Miku's music as friends.

* * *

Miku's House later that night

After the massage had been concluded the two girls shared a light meal with some dessert and seeing as it was getting late by that time decided to get ready for bed. They both washed up, brushed their teeth, and put on their pajamas (Lucky/creepily Miku had spare nightwear for each of the spirits at her house just in case).

With both dressed for bed Miku lead Yoshino down the hall towards the multiple guest bedrooms her mansion came with. Considering Miku's passion for cute girls her home had a large number of spare bedrooms for any cute girl willing to stay the night although sadly they mostly went unused.

Still the extra space was useful as Miku and Kotori had once discussed using Miku's mansion as a emergency home for the spirits should both their own mansion and Shido's house ever be destroyed.

The girls needed someplace to live that Rataoskr was familiar with so naturally Miku's house was on the short list of shelters to be used if the need ever arose.

As much as Miku dreamt of having her darling and all the other girls living with her she was happy that in this instance one of them was staying out of choice and not necessity.

"You called and told Shido that we'd be staying over a few days right?" asked Yoshino dressed in a pale blue night gown

"Darling didn't pick up so I left him a message saying you were staying the night since I didn't want you walking home alone in the dark" answered Miku wearing some seductive pink and black lingerie

"I didn't want to try and explain that you were staying over a few days on the machine so I figured we can tell him in the morning" she added leading Yoshino up to one of the doors.

"I hope he doesn't get too suspicious" said Yoshino

"**It's just staying with a friend for a few days, odds are he'll think you just want to get away from Tohka and Origami's fighting"**

"Then he'll think I'm upset with them! I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings"

"**You worry too much Yoshino"**

"Here we go Yoshino! Your room!" interrupted Miku opening the door to Yoshino's temporary bedroom.

Like most things in Miku's house the room was large and elegant sporting a huge bed and expensive furniture only affordable on a Idol's budget.

"Thank you Miku" said Yoshino as she walked in and inspected the bed

"It's no problem, I'm always ready to have you or any of the other girls over for the night"

"**I'll bet" **commented Yoshinon before looking around the room **"So tell me how many hidden cameras are in here to take naughty photos of Yoshino in secret?"**

"Yoshinon!" cried Yoshino at what her puppet was insinuating

"(Giggle) There's none in here I promise" is what Miku's body said

'_Note to self: bedroom cameras'_ is what her mind said

"This is a really nice room Miku" complimented Yoshino to change the conversation

"It should have everything you need and if you need anything at all don't hesitate to call me I'm just around the corner"

"I should be fine"

"I mean it Yoshino, if you need ANYTHING call me…"

"Ok"

"It's no bother at all I promise!"

"Ok?"

"Anything!"

"I-I got it…"

"A late night snack, someone to guide you to the bathroom, if you want to sleep snuggled up next to me to keep away bad dreams…"

"A-alright..."

"Do you want me to tuck you in?"

"I can handle that myself…"

"Are you sure? I can make it nice and tight!" offered Miku approaching Yoshino making grasping gestures with her hands

"I'm a big girl I can take care of it" replied Yoshino feeling a little uneasy again

"Let me help! I'll wrap you in the blanket so tightly you'll be like a cute little caterpillar snuggled up in a cocoon!" continued Miku imaging herself laying in bed holding a blanket cocooned Yoshino

"_That's right my little Yoshino sleep peacefully! Big sis Miku will keep away all the nightmares!" said imaginary Miku watching imaginary Yoshino sleep_

"**You may want to get into bed while you can still move"** warned Yoshino

Yoshino dove onto the bed and got under the covers as fast as she could in order to keep Miku from "Helping" her

"See all done! I'm fine!" exclaimed Yoshino as she popped her head up from under the blanket

"Oh shoot!" pouted Miku seeing her chance for fun ruined

"Thanks for the offer though"

Miku let out a disappointed sigh before responding

"No problem, I'm just glad I can help"

"**Trust me this is the best Yoshino's felt going to bed in weeks, you've helped a lot already"** commented Yoshinon

"I'm so happy you decided to open up to me Yoshino, I hate to think about what you've been going through all alone" said Miku feeling touched by Yoshinon's words

"I know I'll get better with you helping me Miku" said Yoshino hopefully with a smile

'_Ah! My heart! That smile is too much for my heart!'_ thought Miku overreacting to Yoshino's gentle smile

"**Speaking of which any idea what we want to do tomorrow?"**

"I was thinking we could eat breakfast here, call darling and tell him you're staying over for a few days, then head out for some shopping for the day"

"Miku I hate to ask, but tomorrow...do you think we can have that talk we mentioned earlier?" Yoshino asked hesitantly referring to the talk about what Miku did to her, Kaguya, and Yuzuru

"**After struggling with that particular issue for months now Yoshino would rather deal with it sooner rather than later"**

As much as Miku would rather not have that discussion she could understand Yoshino's desire to get it over and done with as soon as possible. If it was really something she had stuck inside her head since September it only made sense to want it gone at the first chance she got.

"We can take care of that after lunch" offered Miku "Let's have some fun to help you relax before we get to the painful stuff ok?"

"That works" agreed Yoshino timidly

"**We can deal with that and come back here in time for that marathon on TV tomorrow night!" **suggested Yoshinon trying to bring up happier subjects

"A marathon? Of what?" asked Miku

"It's a anime I really like, I missed a one of the episodes so I stopped watching it for a while so I could go in order" explained Yoshino

"**She didn't want to skip over any of the plot so she stopped watching it, the marathon tomorrow has the episode she missed and all the new ones after it"**

"Why'd you miss the episode?" asked Miku curiously

Turns out this was a bad thing to ask as Yoshino's expression darkened and she hesitated to respond.

"**She came down with a sudden case of trapped in a mirror when it was on"** said Yoshinon darkly

"Oh" moaned Miku realizing her mistake

If Miku's Solo still bothered Yoshino it made just as much sense that being "erased" by Natsumi was also a sore point for the Ice Spirit to have brought up.

"Well which anime is it?" she asked in an attempt to recover after bringing up such a touchy subject

It seemed to work as Yoshino switched gears from depressed spirit to rampaging fangirl in the blink of an eye.

"It's about a magical girl with red twintails who fights monsters trying to steal love from the world!" Yoshino explained with enthusiasm

"**Technically it's a guy who transforms into a cute girl" **added Yoshinon

"I love that one!" shouted Miku recognizing which show it was "He has two cute girls who transform with him into heroines too right?"

"Yeah! Yellow and Blue!" answered Yoshino

"**Plus there's that rampaging pervert in the lab coat with the giant boobs"**

"And the Dark one with the glasses who falls in love with…"

"**Hey hey hey! We didn't get that far!" **

"Oh sorry!" aplogized Miku forgetting Yoshino hadn't seen all the episodes yet

"Was the ending as good as I heard?" asked Yoshino as the two girls continued to nerd out in the way only fans could

"I can't say too much but the last few episodes were great! I didn't agree with some of the choices they made but it was still fantastic"

"They ever change the ending song?"

"Not that I remember but the song playing over the last battle was perfect! I wish I had gotten to do it but sadly that contract went to someone else"

"**Ok was there any Yuri? I can't imagine they had such a setup and didn't do any proper yuri"**

"There were some strong hints in the last few episodes but nothing confirmed" answered Miku

"**AH! Stonewalled again!"**

"What was your favorite episode?" Yoshino asked "One of the later ones I missed?"

"Episode 11 was great! So much cuteness! What about you Yoshino?"

"I liked episode 2!"

"Oh with the ribbon scene?"

"Yeah! Red was trapped then Blue transformed for the first time to save them!"

"I don't care if Red is really a boy, seeing a cute girl wrapped up in ribbons like that was the best!" Miku exclaimed

"**What about the animation problems everyone online was complaining about during the 2nd half of the season? Those as bad as they say?"**

"A few filler frames looked off but at least they did good work on the cute scenes and battles"

"Miku want to watch the marathon with me tomorrow?"

"Of course! I'll try and avoid spoiling it for you!" replied Miku more than happy to take up the offer

'_I just hope we're still friends by that point' _a dark part of Miku's mind thought knowing what they planned to discuss tomorrow.

"**We better get to bed then! We have a full day tomorrow!" **

"You're right Yoshinon" said Yoshino taking note of the clock as she laid back in bed and pulled the covers over her

It wasn't late by any means but Yoshino was like Miku in that both girls prefered to go to bed and wake up earlier than most.

"I suppose you're both right (Yawn) time for bed" replied Miku feeling worn out as well after the day's events

"Good night Yoshino sweet dreams" replied Miku walking over and turning out the lights, glad the two of them could finish the day on a high note

"Good night Miku, thanks again for everything" said Yoshino taking off Yoshinon at long last and placing him next to her under the covers

'_Don't you worry Yoshino, no matter what I'll make you feel better' _thought Miku as she took one last peek at Yoshino before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

After shutting the door Miku headed off to her room and her own awaiting bed; still thinking about everything that had occurred today.

It still seemed so bizarre that when she woke up this morning she had no idea anything was even wrong with Yoshino and yet here she was not even a day later charged with trying to fix the broken pieces of her heart.

'_I wonder if this is what darling went through when he found out about the spirits and how to save them?'_

To be tasked with something so important without warning was a terrifying feeling but at the same time Miku knew it was important and that she was doing a very good deed by helping a friend.

It frightened Miku to even imagine what could have happened if Yoshino hadn't suffered her breakdown back in the spa.

If she had gone without help who knows what could have occurred if another spirit showed up or DEM decided to strike again!

Poor Yoshino seemed like she was one big fight away from going Inverse and after what Miku had witnessed with Tohka's and Origami's transformation the idea of Yoshino turning into a monster like that mortified her.

As she reached her room one last question remained in her head that was still bothering her.

'_How did Rataoskr not notice Yoshino's suffering?'_

* * *

_Author Note: Well here you go another chapter done. Next one will be a shorter one and after that we'll be getting to the part where Kaguya and Yuzuru show up. Originally they were supposed to play a small part but it's looking like they'll have a much bigger role to play._


	5. Shadow in the Sky

**Date A live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 5: Shadow in the Sky**

* * *

Fraxinus: 15 Kilometers above Tengu City

"And another day done" sighed Kotori in her commander's seat overlooking the Fraxinus bridge as she and the rest of the crew watched a video projection of her older brother collapse into his bed.

It had been a busy day of keeping Tohka and the newest spirit Origami from murdering each other in a constant battle for Shido's affections.

That day alone the two of them had unleashed their angels and limited release astral dresses a good nine times in an attempt to do battle causing thousands in property damage before Shido was forced to jump in and stop them.

"At this rate the bill for damages may actually surpass Tohka's usual feeding costs" commented the redhead

This fact was impressive due mainly to the fact that Tohka was basically a black hole with a cute face when it came to food. This meant Rataoskr was charged with feeding someone who could eat on the scale of Son Goku and Monkey D Luffy and was just as dangerous when hungry.

"Still no improvement" spoke Reine the head analyst for Rataoskr reviewing the mental data taken during the day

"I knew this would be hard but none of the girls ever had this much trouble AFTER they got sealed" bemoaned Kotori

"None of the others had homicidal tendencies towards spirits for so long" Reine pointed out taking a swig of her coffee

"We can't keep this up forever something has to break at some point"

"I'm sure it will fade in time" reassured Reine "Some things just take time to heal"

"Let's just hope big brother doesn't break before then" joked Kotori popping a lollipop into her mouth

"That remains to be seen, Shido's body is though but who knows how long his mind will hold out"

"I'm sure he'll be fine after some sleep; speaking of which let's run down the checklist for the other spirits before we head off for the night" suggested Kotori knowing keeping track of the other girls was important too even if they weren't causing problems

"Bringing up today's reading and observations for the rest of the spirits" said Reine bringing up the information on the main screen

"Ok start with the twins" ordered Kotori as surveillance footage of the two Yamai sisters visiting an arcade went up on the screen

"Everything checks out for today" responded Renie "Went to school, visited an arcade for fun, returned home in time for dinner. All mental levels above stable"

"Glad to see that for once they're keeping out of trouble, makes less work for us. Next bring up Miku"

"Bringing her up now...what on earth?" asked Renie in confusion rechecking Miku's mental graphs

"What's up?" asked Kotori not liking what she had just heard

"Can we confirm this?" Renie asked the rest of the bridge crew

"Checking...all sensors showing normal" answered code named Nail Kocker

"This isn't a technical error?" asked Reine sounding puzzled

"Something wrong?" asked Kotori seriously

"Surveillance has Miku following her normal schedule of school then home during which time her mental state was normal. Once she got home her happiness level spiked multiple times with slight anxiety mixed in intermittently"

"It seems she had a meeting with Yoshino today" revealed Deep Love showing a video of Yoshino entering Miku's home

"Anything we planned?" asked Kotori watching the main screen

Rataoskr had recently floated the idea of having the girls bond more with each other around believing the more they built their own friendships up the more stable they would be without Shido. After seeing how Yoshino and Natsumi built upon each other once they had bonded and how stable Kaguya and Yuzuru were together everyone had concluded it could also benefit the rest of the spirits to grow closer.

It seemed like a good idea in theory although Kotori had actually stalled it due to some rather stupid arguments with everyone else about what to call the project.

Operation Shared Love:The Harem Ending! was not an acceptable name no matter how many of her subordinates wanted to call it that!

At least not when it was focused on HER big brother!

Once the naming issue had been cleared up Kotori had actually planned on seeing about having Yoshino bond with the Yamai sisters through a series of outings between the three. They were all pretty much stable and had no outstanding issues or strong feelings about each other so Kotori viewed them as a nice control group. She had even had a few plans drawn up on what kind of scenarios the three of them could be put into to help them deepen the bonds between them.

Personally Kotori couldn't quite wrap her head around the best option considering the different personalities and interests the three had. A second visit to the water park didn't appeal to her since Yoshino had done that already and in such a free roaming environment there was no guarantee they would even stay together. Trips to a movie theater raised the issue of the right film to send them to since Yoshino would most likely faint if confronted by some of the horror movies Kaguya favored.

Renie had raised the prospect of some type of outdoor scavenger hunt or sports event and that plan had gathered some favor among the Fraxinus crew before the naming issue shut things down.

'_I swear if someone went behind my back just to try and see some spirit yuri I'm going to murder them!'_ thought Kotori finding it a little suspicious that the most yuri of the spirits Miku had a secret meeting with Yoshino

The reason they had specifically wanted to avoid using Miku for the experiment was due to her obsessive nature when it came to cute girls which might put most of the spirits off of the whole idea of bonding with each other.

"Nothing on our end" answered Deep Love

"Shido set something up?"

"Nope, seems like it was all Yoshino or Miku's doing" replied Nail Knocker

"It's odd I'll admit but what's the concern here?"

"For a time Miku's mental state was stable, about an hour after Yoshino arrived this happened" answered Reine bringing up Miku's data

"What the hell?!" Kotori slamed her palms down onto the command console upon seeing Miku's mental state plummet before bouncing up and down further along the line. Something had affected Miku deeply and brought her well within what should have been alert worthy levels but somehow it had gone under the radar.

"We have no surveillance data from inside Miku's home to explain the drop but whatever it was filled Miku with a mixture of mortal terror, sadness, and finally a burst of deep self loathing and regret 30 minutes later" explained Renie

"What's her status now!?" asked Kotori almost tempted to call Shido just in case this was something he would be needed for

"Checking more recent data" replied Bad Marriage

"After the drop Miku's mental state fluctuated wildly for the next few hours between large amounts of happiness and mild anxiety" answered Nail Knocker

"She appears stable for now but we still don't know the cause" added Reine

"Yoshino was with her? What about her?" asked Kotori really hoping she wasn't dealing with any type of drama between spirits when Tohka and Origami were still being a problem

"One second" replied one of the crew

It wasn't like Miku to have such a sudden drop after she was sealed, the reason Rataoskr didn't monitor her or her house as thoroughly was because of just how stable she was compared to the rest.

She may have been emotional from time to time but it was mostly harmless stuff that was easily smoothed over by Shido without much effort.

'_How is Yoshino involved in this?'_ wondered Kotori finding it odd that Yoshino would reach out to Miku without notifying anyone

Kotori severely doubted Yoshino would do anything to ever upset Miku on purpose but maybe something had happened by accident. Perhaps Yoshino had said something to Miku that was misunderstood or a disagreement got out of hand.

'_No that wouldn't work, Yoshino would submit in any argument long before things got heated. It's not in her nature to fight over anything petty especially when a friend is involved'_

"What's taking so long?" Kotori asked mildly annoyed noticing it was taking longer than normal to bring up Yoshino's data

"Sorry slight delay in the system" excused Deep Love "Putting it up now"

On the main screen Yoshino's mental data went up showing a relatively stable graph with only a few minor dips here and there nowhere near the levels they had seen with Miku.

"Looks about the same as normal" said Kotori looking over the graphs

"All above stable and consistent with her usual levels" added Nail Knocker

"There's a minor dip coinciding with the start of Miku's downward plunge that lasted for about the same amount of time" pointed out Reine noticing a slightly more steep drop than normal in that timeframe.

Something had scared her at that time but if what they were seeing was correct it was hardly anything worse than watching a scary scene in a horror movie

"Are we sure we have no other data?" Kotori asked finding it odd that Miku's happiness level could nosedive while Yoshino's only had a slight dent in it

They started and ended at almost the same exact time so they had to be linked but the reactions were on entirely different levels. Miku's looked like she had been in combat with inverse Origami again while Yoshino's appeared to be barely anything worth noting.

"None" replied Boss

Kotori could only sigh in frustration at being so left in the dark about whatever this was.

"(Sigh) Ok! Let's keep calm, I don't want to panic over what could be just be Miku watching an emotional movie with Yoshino" Kotori said regaining her composure and think about what to do

Being a commander meant not giving into panic and always thinking about what practical steps you could take when faced with problem that seemed too big.

"We showing any other irregularities for either girl in the recent past?"

"None, they're both stable at least two weeks back according to our readings" answered one of crew going over the data backlog

"So whatever it is appears to only have affected Miku severely and only happened today" said Kotori thinking over the limited evidence they had

"Maybe an isolated incident?" hoped another of the crew

"Both girls watching one of Yoshino's TV dramas?" suggested another

"Miku could have been unprepared and overreacted to a storyline?" came yet another suggestion

"I'm hoping that's what it is" replied Kotori worried about Miku but still finding something off about how Yoshino tied into this

"We know what Yoshino's status is?" she asked just to be safe

"Miku left a message for Shido saying that Yoshino would be staying the night with her" answered Renie

"Bring it up" ordered Kotori wanting to hear how Miku sounded

"_(BEEEP!) DAR-LING! (Giggle) sorry to be calling when I'm sure you're busy but I justed to tell you Yoshino-chan is staying the night with me. Tohka-chan may have mentioned she was coming over earlier? Anyway our fun ran a little long and I can't risk sending someone as cute as Yoshino home by herself at this hour so she's just staying here. Tell all the girls I said hi and be sure to give them a kiss from me! Love you darling! (BEEP!)"_

"Overflowing in enthusiasm, as playful as a child, and laced with yuri undertones. Yup that's normal Miku" commented Kotori seeing nothing odd about Miku's message

"That sounded far too calm for someone who apparently feared for her life only a few hours before" added Reine

"So we may just be looking at a false alarm?" suggested one of the crew

"We don't have the resources or the time to chase down every alert with Origami and Tohka still on a rampage" pointed out another

"(Sigh)...Alright we'll drop the matter for now but if this becomes a trend I want to hear about it" instructed Kotori hoping it really was nothing more than an anomaly brought on by a TV show or movie

"Understood, setting up an alarm for lowered mental state on Miku!"

"Let's just finish with Natsumi then"

"Nothing much to report there besides a slight drop after Yoshino left for Miku's house" Renie reported

"Makes sense; that girl can't handle being without Yoshino long before she gets upset" observed Kotori knowing Natsumi and Yoshino had been very close since the former had been sealed

"She's not going to be happy when she realizes Yoshino isn't home in the morning"

"You're probably right Reine, let's make sure Shido tries to throw a few nice gestures her way until Yoshino gets home tomorrow" ordered Kotori thinking that would be enough

"Understood, we done for the night then?" asked Renie who somehow looked more exhausted than normal "I'm feeling tired, more so than usual"

"(Yawn!) Me too, lets call it night"

With that Kotori got up from her seat and made her way to the back of the bridge planning to take the teleporter down to her house and awaiting bed.

It had been a long day and she was looking forward to her 40 winks like everyone else on board not working the night shift.

As the crew prepared for their rest none of them had any idea just how wrong things were for a certain blue-haired spirit nor did they notice one of the unwatched screens glitch out for a second revealing a troubling message in the static.

_Subroutine DarkShadow .EDX Active 16% Completion..._


	6. Home Front

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 6: ****Home Front**

* * *

Itsuka Residence

**Smash! **

**Crash!**

"How dare you!?"

**Bang!**

**Clang!**

"Pathetic, you really believe such idiocy is befitting the wife of a man such as Shido?"

**Clang!**

**Crack!**

"Um...you're stupid!"

"Scathing"

**Clang!**

**Thud!**

"Hey keep away from the TV! How can we have a proper battle between light and darkness if you smash the arena?!"

"Agreement. Watch your blows!"

"WHERE'S YOSHINO?!"

"Knock it off! Hey! I said KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Dammit, just dammit" swore Shido Itsuka under his breath as he continued to be constantly reminded of what was going on just behind him

Shido currently stood in the kitchen wrapped in a simple white apron, black shirt, and blue jeans, preparing the girls breakfast of toast eggs and hashbrowns that morning. Behind him Tohka, Origami, &amp; Kotori were standing around the dining table as his sister did her best to keep the two rivals from killing each other. Even with her black ribbons on Kotori in commander mode was simply no match for the pure and simple rage between the two bitter enemies who had been fighting all morning still dressed in their school outfits on a Saturday since they had torn so many of their other clothes up.

In the living room Natsumi sat on a chair crying while wearing her favorite black and orange outfit with the stars on it she loved because it was what she wore on her first day as Yoshino's friend. She had been pretty hard hit by the news that Yoshino had never come home the night before since Yoshino alway tried to have a nice early morning tea with her each day. It pained her to have something as familiar as her morning tea time with her friend taken away leaving her in a dark mood since everyone had woken up.

Finally Kaguya and Yuzuru had been posted on the couch playing a competitive shooting game since they had arrived and somehow had yet to end a single match. As per usual the twins wore reflective clothing styles with Kaguya donning a punkish black hoodie with skulls on it, short shorts, and red and black knee high socks while Yuzuru wore a much less aggressive white long sleeved blouse and blue skirt combo.

So far Shido's plan of "just cook breakfast and pretend nothing was wrong" wasn't working nearly as well as he had hoped it would in his head thanks to the unending screaming going on behind him.

Two weeks

He had been dealing with this exact situation non-stop for two FULL weeks and things showed no sign of stopping anytime soon

"How on earth did a poorly disguised Ogre manage to seduce Shido in the first place?" came the taunting voice of Origami as he cracked open another egg into a pan

"Yeah well...ENJOY DEATH!" Tohka responded followed by what Shido could tell was the sound of a chair being thrown across a room, over Origami's head, and sailing clear out the window behind her smashing it into a thousand pieces

"Opps!"

"Observation. That's the 3rd window this week" came Yuzuru's robotic speech

"My kinsman you need to aim lower with a projectile that big" added Kaguya sounding almost amused by the mayhem so long as it kept away from her and Yuzuru's game.

"Not again!" screamed Kotori in rage knowing she's have more expense reports to fill out for repairs

"WHY IS YOSHINO NOT HERE?!" cried Natsumi adding a new flavor of hell to the chaos this particular morning

'_Dear god kill me! Send Kurumi in here to eat me for all I care just make it quick!'_ thought Shido unconsciously stabbing the potatoes for hash browns out of frustration

Ok he was being over-dramatic but at this point that having such thoughts was mostly just a coping method.

As much as he loved all the girls in his life and would die to defend any of them he was really quickly reaching the end of his rope after weeks of constant battle and Natsumi's mood was only making things worse. Yoshino had left for Miku's house yesterday and Miku had called to let him know she would be staying the night which Shido at first thought may have been a good thing. In theory with one spirit gone it should have been less work for him however Natsumi didn't take the sudden loss of her friend well and had been crying all morning.

Now he was left dealing with an annoyed Kotori, an inconsolable Natsumi, and a pair of mortal enemies trying to get along in the form of Tohka and Origami.

Mercifully the twins weren't being any issue and even offered what little help they could from time to suspected they knew he was under pressure and were trying to at the very least not add to any problems going on in the house. Kotori reported that they were taking care of themselves just fine and had put off any attempts to compete for his affection until the current crisis had passed despite being somewhat annoyed they couldn't go on any dates with him.

'_I've got to treat them to something really nice after all this is over' _vowed Shido grateful for the help no matter how small it was

Yoshino hadn't been an issue lately either although Shido was getting worried about her. It had taken him a while to notice but in between Origami and Tohka's battles Shido could see that something was "off" about Yoshino lately. Kotori had reassured him all her mental signs were fine but his instincts told him wasn't right no matter what Rataoskr's data may have said.

She just didn't seem to smile as much or have any sort of energy with Shido walking in on her sleeping on the couch during the day multiple times in the past week alone. Both Kaguya and Tohka had reported seeing the lights on in her room in the middle of the night when they got up to go to the bathroom and Natsumi told Shido odd noises came from her bedroom during the early morning hours which sounded like splashing.

Add to that the amount of time she spent bathing lately, staying inside all day long even when the others invited her out, and the fact that Yoshinon seemed to be acting up randomly and an uneasy picture emerged. Shido wanted to take her on a date and talk to her about what was bothering her but the last time he had tried to take Miku out for a night he came home to Tohka and Origami rolling around on the floor strangling each other while cursing like sailors. Since then Kotori put a temporary hold on any dates or group activities where he couldn't keep the two of them in check.

**Ring! Ring! Ring!**

A new noise broke through the chaos of the battle behind him and the sound of food cooking in front of him in the form of the phone going off in the kitchen.

Figuring it was probably Yoshino or Miku he made sure nothing was going to burn before picking up the line to hear a most familiar sound on the other side

"_Dar-ling!"_

"Hello Miku" he replied upon hearing Miku's affectionate greeting

"What's up?"

"_Oh not much, just calling to tell you Yoshino and I are…"_

"Did someone say Yoshino?!" came Natsumi's voice from the background

'_Good ears...'_ thought Shido amazed she had picked up on Yoshino's name from across the room and over the sound of Tohka being smacked in the face with a pillow repeatedly by Origami

"Just give me a minute Natsumi!" yelled Shido before continuing on with the conversation

"You were saying Miku?"

"_(Giggle) Yes, me and Yoshino-chan are just fine and making some breakfast here before going out for some time around town"_

Shido let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Miku was taking such good care of Yoshino and somehow had even gotten her to agree to spend some time outside.

"I'm glad, sounds like things are going fine between you two"

"_Yup! We had a pretty um….interesting day yesterday inside so we figured we'd spend some time outside today"_

"Interesting?"

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!" came Tohka's voice from the background

**BANG!**

"_What was that?!"_

"(Nervous Laugh) Nothing! Nothing at all! Now then what did you mean by interesting?"

"_Oh nothing much, we just talked for a bit and came up with an idea we both wanted to run by you real quick"_

"What idea?"

"_Darling what's your stance on polygamy?"_

"WHAT?!"

"_(Giggle) Jok-ing! I really wanted to tell you that Yoshino-chan and I thought it might be fun if she stayed over a few days so we can hang out"_

"Don't scare me like that!"

"_Sorry...You don't have to act like it's a bad idea you know..."_

"Erm...So Yoshino wants to stay over your place for a few days?"

"Oh yes! _Yoshinon suggested it actually and I thought it was a wonderful idea!"_

'_Of course you would Miku'_ thought Shido who could only imagine Miku's smile at the thought of having someone as cute as Yoshino staying with her

"I'm don't see a problem with it but may I ask if she stated why she wanted to stay over? What did you guys even do yesterday?"

"_Um…"_

'_She's hesitating...'_

"Does this have something to do with what's going on with Origami and Tohka?" asked Shido suspecting Yoshino may have wanted to get away from the war-zone his house had become

"_She mentioned them having issues but she didn't specifically say she wanted to get away from them…"_

"I see"

'_Yoshino would never want to blame those two for anything so I doubt she'd say it directly'_

"_I think she just really wants to spend some time out of the house with me"_ said Miku trying to dance around the issue

"I'm glad that she wants to get out of the house for a bit, she and Natsumi have been doing nothing but watching TV inside for weeks"

"_Yes she mentioned that yesterday. It may be why she wants to change things up a bit"_

"I'm sure if you're watching her she'll be fine so I have no problems if she wants to stay over for a few days"

'_Natsumi is going to lose her mind' _Shido realized painfully

"_Thank you darling! Don't worry I'll take good care of her!"_

"Could I speak with her quick first?"

"_No problem! Yoshino-chan!"_

...

"_Um Hi Shido!"_

"Hello Yoshino"

"_**Shido you would not believe the day we had yesterday! Yoshino got naked and Miku touched her in all these weird places! Then they both cried for some reason!"**_

"_Ah Yoshinon don't say things like that!"_

"_**Why not?"**_

"Um you ok Yoshino?" He couldn't tell if Yoshinon was joking or not; a fact spoke volumes about Miku's personality.

"_I'm fine! Please ignore Yoshinon! That was just a joke!"_

"Right...I'm sure it was" replied Shido nervously

'_That was a bit too specific for a joke!' _he thought

"_Anyway Miku told you about me staying over here a few days right?"_

"She mentioned it yes"

"_G-Good! I'll be just fine so d-don't worry about me!"_

"Um Yoshino?" he asked seriously

"_Y-yes?!"_

"You staying over...does this have anything to do with what's going on with Tohka and Origami by any chance?" Shido asked as the sound of a chair breaking reached his ears

"Reaction. Friendly fire!" yelled Yuzuru behind him

"My bad!" called out Tohka

"Your aim is truly terrible..." commented Origami coldly

"RAAAGHHH!"

**Crash!**

"_**The answer to your question is no but by the sounds of it I'd say not being there is a nice side effect"**_

"_It's not that that's bothering me! Don't tell them I left just to get away from them!"_

"Don't worry I believe you"

"_Good! I don't want to upset anyone!"_

"So you have any idea how long you're going to be staying with Miku? Do you need me to send anything over?"

"_A few days at least and I think I have everything I need here"_

"What about clothes?"

"_I'm going clothes shopping with Miku after this, she insisted on it"_

"_**Yeah! More naked fun time with Miku!"**_

"_Wahh! Yoshinon stop doing that!"_

'_What on earth is going on with those two?'_ wondered Shido

"So you'll be ok then?"

"_I'll be fine, I can call if I need anything from the house"_

"Alright I hope the two of you have fun, don't forget to call in from time to time and say hello to everyone else especially Natsumi, she misses you"

"_I will! Bye Shido!"_

"Goodbye Yoshino"

"_Oh um darling?" _asked Miku picking up the phone again

"Yes Miku?"

"_Listen I just sent Yoshino out of the room for a second so I can't talk for long" _explained Miku in a hushed tone as though she didn't want to risk Yoshino hearing her

"What's up?" asked Shido becoming alerted by Miku's tone

"_I promised Yoshino I wouldn't mention anything but...well something is wrong"_

"What's going on?"

'_I knew it'_ thought Shido believing his worry was vindicated

"_First off do you know if Rataoskr monitors this line?"_

"Why do you need to know that?" questioned Shido getting much more concerned after hearing Miku ask that

"_I can't say why but it's important, please trust me on this"_

"I don't think they monitor the phones all the time unless it's when I'm dealing with something. Right now they should all be focused on Tohka and Origami but I can't promise anything" Shido explained giving into Miku's request

"_Looks like I'll have to chance it then, thank you for trusting me"_

"It's not a problem but what's the matter?"

"_I won't go into details yet but Yoshino is dealing with something rather "unpleasant" right now and it has nothing to do with the fighting at the house"_

"She tell you what it was?"

"_She did but so far I'm the only one she's told since she wants to keep it a secret. I won't completely break my promise to her but if I can't handle things myself I may need some help. That's why I'm just giving you a quick warning as a heads up"_

"I'll do anything I can but I need to know what's going on!"

"_I'm sorry darling but if I broke my promise now it could make things much worse. I only wanted to notify you in case things ever got really bad"_

"(Sigh) I see...I won't press further but should I tell Kotori and Rataoskr? They seem to think she's fine"

"_I have no idea how they missed it but Yoshino is anything other than fine!" _exclaimed Miku

"Just how bad is it?!" asked Shido in shock

"_I don't want to worry you too much but she really needs my help. She's terrified of Kotori or Rataoskr finding out so she came to me instead"_

"That's why she's staying with you?"

"_Yes, I promised her we'd take a few days to work on this ourselves before going to anyone else"_

"She doesn't want anyone else to know that much?"

"_It took me a lot of time and effort just to get what I could out of her. Please don't tell anyone else about this until I convince her to seek more help"_

"I got it, I won't mention it to Kotori but I'll get ready to do what I can if she asks for help"

"_Thanks"_

"Could I at the very least get a hint about what this is all about?"

"_Hmm….How to put this?"_

It took a second or two for Miku to come up with a proper hint that would clue her darling in on what was wrong without revealing too much

"_She's regretting something she really shouldn't be regretting"_

"That's all?"

"_Sorry..."_

"It's ok just make sure to take care of yourself and call the second you think you can't handle things"

"_I will, also darling?"_

"Yes?"

"_Make sure everyone is ok for when she comes back"_

"Alright?"

"_Goodbye then darling, have fun with Tohka and Origami!"_

**Click! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!**

'_Well that was unexpected'_ thought Shido particularly confused by that last part about making sure everyone was ok

Shido let out a deep groan as he went back to cooking, as much as he wanted to take a moment to relax after what he had just heard he knew things would be much worse with a hungry Tohka running around. It shamed him to admit it but whatever was going on with Yoshino was the last thing he needed to be dealing with right now. In a way he was grateful Miku was trying to take care of it but the fact that Yoshino was evidently going through something painful only added to his worries.

'_Then there's the issue of how Rataoskr missed it'_ thought Shido glancing over his shoulder to peek at Kotori who was forcing Tohka and Origami to clean up whatever mess they had created in the living room

It wasn't like them to miss things like this and by the way Miku made it sound it seemed like this was something big to miss! Kotori had told him for weeks that Yoshino's charts were reading fine and that everything was ok despite any strange behavior yet here was Miku having to tell him in secret that Yoshino was dealing with some sort of issue behind their backs.

This raised two equally terrifying possibilities:

One: Rataoskr knew about it and was keeping things from Shido to keep him from getting over stressed while dealing with Tohka and Origami

Two: Somehow Rataoskr could miss one of the spirits suffering enough to scare Miku when she found out about it

Neither was good and both options were still possible at this point without any way to eliminate either. Kotori could (and would) keep secrets from Shido is she felt it was necessary enough and Rataoskr could make mistakes as they had in the past. Shido knew he had to try and get to the bottom of things either way without giving away Miku or Yoshino's secret which was going to be a challenge when he was heavily monitored every second he spent taking care of Tohka and Origami.

"That's it!"

"Bring it on you simpleton!"

Speaking of which he now had to use his favorite trick for getting Tohka to calm down: Food

Placing the last piece of toast on a plate he softly banged a fork against it and called out "Breakfast is done!"

"YAY!" cheered Tohka dropping her battle stance so she could sprint over toward the table where everything was set out for everyone

Origami followed shortly after followed by both Kotori and a sullen Natsumi with the twins not budging from their game

"Hey you two coming?" he called out as gunfire and explosions continued to come out of the TV's speakers uninterrupted

"One second!" replied Kaguya seeing victory finally in her grasp

"Delay. We shall be along shortly"

"Sister you appear to be outmatched here!" taunted Kaguya knowing she had Yuzuru pinned and dangerously low on ammo

"Retort. Hold you victory speech for later! This isn't over!" replied Yuzuru stepping out from behind cover to fire one more sniper round right over Kaguya's head

"HA! Your ammunition is exhausted and I hold the advantage!"

"Response. I have the high ground so the advantage is mine"

"Face your end in my dark...!"

**Bang!**

_Headshot! Player 2 wins!_

"...flames?"

"Victory. You clearly underestimated my capacity for violence...also ammunition" said Yuzuru with an almost sickeningly smug look on her face

Kaguya's jaw hit the floor as she dropped her controler in shock

"How?! I had...! You didn't...! HOW DID YOU HAVE ANY AMMO LEFT!?" roared Kaguya upset by her unexpected loss.

"Answer. Ammunition Perk"

"What?! No one takes that stupid perk on the sniper rifle! You only get one extra shot!"

"One Liner. All I needed" replied Yuzuru with a smile

You could practically hear the guitar riff going off in the background after she delivered that line.

Kaguya dropped her head in shame at both her defeat and the series of awesome lines Yuzuru had gotten to say unopposed while her sister was practically glowing after her victory.

"..."

"Tell me….How long were you saving that ammunition line for?" asked Kaguya her head still bowed in defeat

"Response. Three weeks four days and 14 hours" answered Yuzuru who had made sure to write such a epic one-liner down when she thought of it

Both sisters made sure to keep notebooks with anything like that stashed in their rooms so they wouldn't forget them if the opportunity came up to use them.

"That was a good line..." painfully admitted Kaguya who had to give credit where credit was due when someone said something cool like that

"Gratitude. Thanks, it was a good battle" complimented Yuzuru getting up from the couch

"Ah well! Onto the next glorious battle!" Kaguya cheerily replied as she quickly recovered from her defeat and joined her sister at the breakfast table.

As always Tohka was obliterating her extra large potion in no time at all, Origami was using Tohka's distraction to lock onto Shido's arm like a vice, Kotori was enjoying her breakfast made by her favorite older brother, and Natsumi mostly poked at her food in between depressed sighs.

"So what is everyone up to today?" asked Kotori

"The usual" answered Shido; that meant being torn apart by Tohka and Origami all day long.

"I'll be keeping Shido company" answered Origami predictably

"Mwee woo!" added Tohka her mouth still stuffed with toast

"I'm gonna wait around for Yoshino to come back home" answered Natsumi causing Shido twitch slightly

"When is she coming home Shido?" Kotori had noticed him talking on the phone earlier and was curious as well

"Well you see…" Shido did NOT want to answer this knowing Natsumi how would respond but he had no choice in being the bearer of bad news.

"She called from Miku's house earlier, I guess she's going to be staying over there a few days..."

"What?! WHY?!" Shido may as well of told Natsumi Yoshino was in the hospital burn ward considering how she reacted

"She said she just wanted to spend a few days with Miku that's all"

"Hmmm...interesting" murmured Kotori looking lost in thought upon hearing the news '_She's staying a few days now? I still got a weird feeling about this' _pondered the commander remembering the previous night's report "She say anything more than that?"

"Not really, they're going to be spending a few days together. Yoshino sounded excited for it"

Clearly this was the wrong thing to tell Natsumi. The past few weeks of fighting and strange behavior from Yoshino had left her on a knife edge just like everyone else so when something even mildly unpleasant came along she was quick to spiral out of control.

"She was excited? She wants to hang out with Miku now? Does that mean she likes Miku more than me?!" she asked taking massive leaps in logic with each question

"No Natsumi no! It doesn't mean anything like that!" Shido replied in a futile attempt to stop Natsumi from working herself up

"Oh god what if she doesn't want to hang out with me anymore!? Does she want to live with Miku just to get away from me? Is it because I'm ugly?! Wait it must be because my boobs are too small! Miku has really large breasts! Yoshino must like being around girls with big breasts! I can have large breasts too!"

Before anyone could stop her Natsumi transformed into her sexy woman form right at the table suddenly becoming a 20 something year old dress in a practically see through set of black lingerie with curves only Miku could really hope to match.

"Calm down Natsumi!" Shido yelled at the panicking spirit

"Ugh what a bother" moaned Kotori only seeing more work ahead for her and the rest of the ship's crew once she got back

"See I can have breasts like a cow too!" exclaimed Natsumi holding up and squishing together her ample chest for emphasis making Shido blush involuntarily

This quickly drew the attention of the others at the table making things much worse very quickly.

"Shido do you like large breasts?" asked Origami looking down at her smaller boobs sadly before glaring at Tohka's larger bust

"What?! I just…?!" stuttered Shido knowing that if he said one wrong thing the whole room might explode

"Does that mean you like my body more?" asked Tohka seeing an opening; even going so far as to bend over to expose more of her cleavage

Shido turned to his sister for advice or some help only to see her rubbing her forehead in frustration; a gesture that all but said "You are SO screwed"

"I don't think Yoshino staying over with Miku has anything to do with boob size Natsumi" interrupted Kaguya who could tell Shido was in desperate need of a save here

"Right! I'm sure it's not that Natsumi!" yelled Shido looking for any excuse to not keep the current conversation going

"Then why would she leave?" asked the older looking Natsumi sadly

"Denial. I can't imagine why she might not want to be around here lately..." commented Yuzuru clearly being sarcastic as she threw Tohka and Origami a look

"Yeah, who knows why she might want to hold a conclave with the queen banshee and disappear into her nest for a few days...?" added Kaguya in her own unique way also being sarcastic

"I think she may have just been wanting a slight change of scenery for a few days. It's normal to want to experience new things from time to time" answered Shido who was trying to pretend he didn't pick up on the twins' hints

"Curious. Why choose Miku's house?" questioned Yuzuru

"Visiting a friends house for a few days could be considered like a mini vacation if you really want to get out the house for a while without really going anywhere fancy" reasoned Shido

"She has seemed a little bored around here lately" Tohka added in before downing another piece of toast in two bites

"Do you think it's me?!"

"I'm sure it's not you Natsumi, Yoshino might have just felt like doing something new" interupted Kotori knowing Natsumi couldn't be allowed to go off on another panic attack again

"I made sure to tell her to call you later Natsumi" revealed Shido "Just try and relax, you can talk to her after"

"Ok!" said Natsumi who was already taking out her green cellphone and looking at the screen intently

It was at that moment both Kotori and Shido realized Natsumi really needed to get more used to being around someone other than Yoshino

'_She's going to watch that phone all day long isn't she?'_

'_Note to self: Try and bond Natsumi with...anyone' _thought Kotori re-thinking the spirit bonding project again

"So then what are you two going to be up to today?" Shido finally asked of the twins who were almost done with their meals

"This!" shouted Kaguya proudly lifting up a tabloid magazine

"You want to find out if that soap opera star is secretly a member of a doomsday cult worshiping money?" asked Tohka reading the headline

_Prophet of Profit? What is the cult of the void and how is this star connected? P.13_

"What? No! This part!" corrected Kaguya pointing at a smaller part printed in the corner "There's a contest!"

Kaguya tossed the magazine across the table to Shido who took a look at what she was talking about along with Tohka.

"They're looking for amateurs to hunt down and take a picture of someone?" he asked glancing over the advertisement

"Mission Details. Yes they're offering a moderate amount of money as bounty for taking a photo of a specific subject"

"You girls this better not be anything illegal" warned Shido who couldn't imagine any contest was above board coming from such a seedy magazine

"Relax! It's not a celebrity or anything!" reassured Kaguya confidently

"Then who is it?" asked Tohka

"A mysterious shadow agent of the great Mad Cephalon known only as the Vigilante!" Kaguya excitedly answered

"Hey hold on! I've heard about that!" Kotori responded

"Vigilante?" asked Shido

"Some whack job has been running around town for the past few weeks in some bizarre getup fighting off muggers and chasing down purse snatchers like he was a superhero" explained Kotori

It was frankly a bizarre situation even by the standards set for this city. A week or two ago attacks started happening throughout the city with some figure dressed in battle armor complete with some freaky looking mask leaping down from rooftops to prevent crimes. All the witnesses reported the vigilante fought with some strange golden staff and posses extraordinary agility, strength, and speed for a human. They had received reports of whatever this thing was fighting ten armed men like it was nothing, running up walls, even blocking bullets! Even stranger they appeared to be on par with Natsumi in avoiding detection, it seemed to vanish out of thin air when it's attacks were finished and so far Rataoskr had yet to be able to get a good picture of the target despite having cameras all over the city looking for it at one point.

Nothing ever came back positive for either space quakes or energy signatures so they knew it wasn't a spirit (Plus by all accounts it was a male) but that didn't mean Kotori wanted the twins to go hunt whatever the heck it was down for fun and profit.

"According to him he's a magical space ninja from the planet Mercury!" enthused Kaguya who was really looking forward to trying to catch up with them if only to talk with such an interesting person

"So you want to chase an armed raving madman in a costume around town?" Shido replied putting it bluntly

"Yup!" answered Kaguya not picking up on his displeasure

"...And more than likely into seedy back alleyways primed for violent crime?"

"Response. That is the most likely place to find a vigilante"

"..."

"Are you two insane!?"

Kaguya was hardly worried and simply replied "Relax! We're spirits! Like a mugger or rapist could hurt us!"

"Agreement. No mere criminal could harm us" said Yuzuru was quick to agree with her sister

"We're the daughters of the hurricane!"

"You're both in serious trouble if you let anything happen to you!" warned Shido

He didn't want to have to deal with the twins getting involved in anything dangerous with everything else that was now going on including Yoshino and Miku's mystery problem.

"Calming. Relax Shido all we shall be doing is walking around town with a camera and hoping we catch sight of them nothing more"

"Me and my sister appreciate your concern for our safety however" added Kaguya with a flirty wink

Before Shido could ask anything else Origami bent down and opened a case that had been at her feet the entire time bringing out her professional (See: Stalker) grade camera with the high zoom lense.

"Here you go as promised" Origami said handing over the expensive piece of equipment to Yuzuru who offered her thanks

"Gratitude. Thank you master Origami. We shall take good care of it"

"I know you will"

"You knew about this?" Shido asked

"My student wished for my help so naturally I offered it"

Origami and Yuzuru had always had some sort of relationship with Yuzuru believing Origami to be a mentor figure for her. This bond had had almost snapped when Origami went totally off the deep end and tried to kill all the spirits in a horribly misguided attempt at revenge. It was painful to see Yuzuru try and talk down a friend who only wanted to see her dead. Even after being seconds away from killing her Yuzuru had never held a grudge and welcomed Origami back with open arms when she officially joined Shido and the rest of the sealed spirits. Since then the two had been getting closer with Origami finally being able to accept a spirit as a friend. Plus Shido suspected Origami secretly viewed having a student as proof of her superiority over Tohka causing her to suddenly take the role much more seriously.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kaguya impressed "Such a powerful all seeing eye! I bet you could see into someone's soul with this!"

Kaguya inspected the high-tech camera and began fiddling with some of the knobs and buttons.

"It's not quite that powerful but the green button on the side allows for night vision" explained Origami

"No creature of darkness shall escape our vision!"

"Addition. No vigilante either" Yuzuru added with a confident smile

"Why on earth are you two doing this anyway? I know for a fact you don't need the money" Shido stated

"Admittance. Well it IS a contest so we figured why not?"

"Team Yamai shall peel back the secrets of the void to uncover this mysterious agent!"

"Addition. The payment would be a nice touch as well"

"Bounty for our hard work!"

Shido sighed and looked towards Kotori to see if she wanted to push the issue before the twins ran off to chase this thing down. Her hesitant shrug was all Shido needed to see before he too realized that trying to stop them would be pointless.

"Just be back in time for dinner and call if anything comes up" said Shido in defeat eliciting a smile from both twins who started making their way towards the door

"No problem see you later Shido and my kinsman!" shouted Kaguya bolting out the door

"Exit. Later Shido, Master Origami!" came Yuzuru's voice soon after

The sound of a door shutting seconds later told Shido the two were off on their adventure leaving him was a moody adult Natsumi who was still staring at her phone, a still mildly annoyed Kotori, and the ticking time bombs that were Origami and Tohka.

"Shido?"

"My Shido?"

"Yes?" he replied to the two's advances

"So do you really like large breasts that much more?" asked Origami again

In the back of his mind Shido could hear the sound of a match being lit and put to a fuse.

'_Shit'_


	7. Vigilantes, Spies, and Catgirls

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 7:Vigilantes, Spies, and Catgirls**

* * *

Tenguu City Shopping District

_As officials continue to scramble to find clues the individual known to the public simply as "The Vigilante" has continued to make multiple appearances throughout the city following the first reported sighting a little over a week ago. Witnesses to the Vigilante's attacks on criminal elements describe them as a brutal ambushes launched from nearby rooftops with the Vigilante dropping in on their targets before engaging in melee combat. The vigilante is reportedly always clad in some sort of intricate white and black full body armor described as looking very advanced around a male like frame although true gender has yet to be confirmed. So far the Vigilante has yet to reveal their name or make any comments besides a baffling claim that they are quote "A Magical Space Ninja from the planet Mercury" uttered during a brief encounter with a witness. Considering the deranged state of mind the Vigilante seems to posses all citizens are encouraged to avoid any contact and notify authorities as soon as possible in any sighting._

Kaguya read the article again as she and her sister continued to walk among the rows and rows of stores located in the shopping district close to the spirit mansion and Shido's house. They had been just wandering around for over an hour now and had yet to find any trace of the Vigilante in the area. Both girls had chosen the district due to fact that of the Vigilante's 19 reported sightings nearly half been in this area, something that apparently all the other hunters had known about as well.

"Crowded. So many cameras and TV crews here today" said Yuzuru

She casually looked through the camera's lens at the sea of people congesting the boulevard around them that only seemed to get thicker as they walked.

"Blasted competitors here to confound our quest and try to deny our inevitable victory!" said Kaguya in response glaring at them

A profession TV crew reporting on the attacks, paparazzi looking for tabloid fodder, students looking for some quick cash, even those just looking for something to do on a Saturday were all out in force to try and find the Vigilante and Kaguya couldn't help but curse them all.

"At this rate he'll never slip back between the veil with this many watchers around!"

"Agree. This is a problem"

How on earth where they supposed to find something that only appeared in secret when the whole district had more camera coverage than a red carpet event! Never Mind that how would they be the ones to get the first picture?!

"I'll never admit defeat but clearly we need a new strategy! We need to break away from the locust swarm and seek new paths towards victory!"

As Kaguya said that she grabbed her sister's hand and forced her way towards a less crowded side street pushing any who blocked her path out of the way with her shoulders. The two of them managed to squeeze out of the crowd although Kaguya did earn a few passing curses for her trouble.

"Much better! This is the superior position!"

"Unease. I think someone touched me in a naughty place in the crowd" said Yuzuru looking flustered

"Who?! I'll obliterate any who defile the sacred temple that is Yuzuru's virgin form!"

Kaguya roared in fury as she scanned the mob they had just passed for any suspects only for Yuzuru to grab her hand and lead her back the other way before she could cause a scene.

"Assurance. Calm down Kaguya my body is yet still pure and ready for your and Shido's enjoyment" she teased

This drew a slight blush from her sister who composed herself and replied with slight trepidation.

"I was just worried for Yuzuru since she's such a beautiful young woman. Who knows what crass things lowlifes would do to one who looks like a model?"

Yuzuru smiled and grabbed her sister's arm before returning Kaguya's tenderness

"Affection. I still believe Kaguya is the more desirable of us with her charming personality and small body that makes you just want to hug her with all your might!"

Both girls locked arms and walked down the street together, all the while trading compliments and admiration.

Though the two had once been bitter enemies who hated each other the bond and closeness they now shared was beyond what most people could comprehend. Only those who truly knew them fully understood how deeply the sisters loved each other to the point they thought nothing of sacrificing their own life to protect the other.

It may have seemed a bit odd for sisters to love one another like Kaguya and Yuzuru did but when you're a spirit of the wind normalcy is hardly the first thing you care about.

"Thanks for stopping me back there before I went into a blood rage. Yuzuru always had such a good head on her shoulders"

"Response. Kaguya's concern about my purity was adorable. I'm touched to know you care so much"

"Ho Ho! As if I would ever let anyone hurt my sister while I still could carry a blade!" said Kaguya with a jaunty laugh

The twin's love fest was interrupted by the sound of a heavy crash coming from a back alley they were passing by.

"Shoot!" came a voice from behind the shadows

"Alert. Contact!" said Yuzuru

"The Vigilante appears! We shall capture them with our film like a legendary with a masterball!" said Kaguya

Both girls sprung into action running down the alleyway with the camera drawn. Ahead of them they could hear panicked footsteps racing away after realizing they had been discovered due to the resounding noise. Based on the pile of trash Kaguya had to jump over it appeared whatever they were chasing had accidently knocked over a garbage can whose lid was still rolling down the alley.

"Yuzuru you ready?!"

"Confirm. Locked and loaded!"

**Crash!**

"**Will you quit hitting those?!"**

"S-sorry!"

Even if it was too dark to see who they were chasing they could certainly still hear them. As the two rounded a bend they could hear another can flip over and discovered yet more trash blocking their way. In the darkness they could hear two voices; one soft and one squeaky.

"Those voices..."

"Recollection. Familiar sounding"

The two of them recognized those voices and suddenly became aware that they were following a group not a single Vigilante like they first believed.

"Keep moving!"

A third voice joined the squeaky one and soft one which the two sisters could instantly identify thanks to the fact they had heard it singing a recent hit song only a few minutes ago in a store's speakers.

After rounding another corner Kaguya and Yuzuru could just barely see two girls running back out onto the main street. One was a shorter girl with blue hair carrying a puppet and dressed in a sailor suit, the other was a much older girl with long blueish purple hair wearing a yellow dress and purple jacket along with some sort of disguise in the form of a of wide brimmed sun hat and ugly sunglasses.

The two running girls bolted across the street and vanished into a clothing store to try and shake their pursuers unaware that they had failed to fully escape before ducking into their hiding spot or realizing they had already been recognized.

"Yoshino and Miku?" asked Kaguya

"Reflection. Shido did say they indented to go shopping today" answered Yuzuru

"Odd. Why flee in terror from allies or even linger in a hive of scum and villainy like this?"

What Kaguya meant was what on earth had Miku and Yoshino been doing in a back alleyway and why did they run from them?

"Idea. Perhaps she wished to avoid the streets thanks to the paparazzi being all over the place?"

"Ah! I see! Travel along hidden roads to avoid enemy patrols! Clever!"

It made sense that if Miku was trying to have a nice day out with Yoshino getting ganged up on by the media would only be a major hassle for them. She and Yoshino must have been hiding the alley from the press when one of them knocked over a garbage can and made that huge crash. Odds are that they ran without even looking to see who was chasing them in the darkness.

"Reponse. Yes, either that or we just interrupted Miku right before she could do impure things to Yoshino in the seediest place she could find" joked Yuzuru

Kaguya wanted to just laugh off her sisters joke but knowing Miku and the lengths she was willing to go for cute girls anything was possible in the back of the sister's minds. They WERE talking about the girl who had tried to use trickery to steal a kiss from Tohka on an active battlefield while both girls were heavily wounded. If a few serious injuries couldn't stop Miku from attempting lewd things god only knows what she would do when left alone with Yoshino for a few days.

Sensing the unease the other suddenly felt both girls came up with the same suggestion on what to do next.

"Question. Maybe we should check on Yoshino just to be sure?"

"We could just kinda peek in on them I suppose…" replied Kaguya nervously

"Confirm. We shall check in on our friends before continuing our main objective"

"Let's go make sure Miku's not up to something, we can just spy on them from the shadows so they won't even know!"

"Agreement"

Kaguya's suggestion of stealth sounded good to Yuzuru and both girls made their way towards the store Miku and Yoshino had headed into intending to eavesdrop on whatever it was they were doing.

* * *

Inside the clothing Store

"Stupid camera freaks chasing us all over the place!"

Miku was not having a good time right now. When she had suggested going shopping with Yoshino to relax and have a little fun she never could have guessed that for some absurd reason the entire neighborhood would be overrun with the press! Her basic disguise was normally enough to keep the paparazzi off of her but this time the old hat and sunglasses combo just didn't work against this many people!

She didn't have any idea what on earth was going on to draw so many people with cameras out but as soon as Yoshino and her arrived Miku could already notice sideways glances and the whispers floating through the crowd.

"_Hey isn't that?"_

"_Look it's the idol"_

"_Doesn't that girl look like that Idol Miku?"_

"_The girl with the puppet, who's that with her?"_

"_Boss should I get the camera?I think we found something big"_

"_Forget the vigilante! Is that who I think it is?"_

Miku's skin started to crawl as those whispers hit her ears and at the first sight of a pair of men with a TV camera and microphone walking towards her she had grabbed Yoshino's hands and headed down a back alley to avoid any interviews. Sadly Yoshino couldn't see well in the darkness and had tripped over a bottle knocking over a bunch of garbage cans bringing the vultures running in after them.

Thankfully it looked like the two had gotten away before they could spotted by whoever was chasing them and were currently hiding inside the clothing store Miku had wanted to bring Yoshino to anyway. It was a smaller store with lots of cute outfits for girls, more importantly however it was one of Miku's favorites thanks to the fact that it was out of the way and Miku could usually shop without being bothered by anyone.

The last thing Miku wanted to be dealing with right now was the press or even most of her fans (Including cute ones too!) since all she wanted was to have a nice morning with Yoshino who needed the relaxation after yesterday. Miku needed it as well since she was also suffering from a case of frayed nerves that particular morning which was making her more than a little cranky and irritable. She knew well what Yoshino wanted to do that day after lunch and did not exactly look forward to it and was currently suffering from a lack of sleep due to her preparations. It was shameful how she acted before she had been sealed and attempted to put it in the past along with her old life and any other unpleasant things yet here was Yoshino needing Miku to dig around back there for answers. Miku had tried to prepare her best for whatever Yoshino intended to ask about her missing memories, even going so far as to spend the night before laying in bed filling out a notebook with every detail she could remember.

It had been painful work writing what was in essence a report on her most terrible behavior from that night and the events leading up to it. Upon re-reading some passages Miku had to dry her eyes or even resist the urge to puke as she recoiled in disgust at some of her own quotes. It was a most terrible reflection to sit through but Miku knew that it was all for a cause she simply couldn't ignore. Yoshinon had said Yoshino's regret over being sealed was linked to her fear of losing her friends, the fear had come from too much time spent thinking about the past because she never really moved on mentally after each close call. The only way Miku could see to help Yoshino; truly help her; was to try and calm all the worries and latent emotions that had been left over after each battle and spirit sealed. The hallucination yesterday and Yoshino's own words made it clear that there was still a good bit of rancor in her heart over being controlled in spite of Miku's (admittedly weak) apology. She still didn't know if what the younger girl felt was fear, anger, or a mixture of the two but whatever it was Miku had to try and deal with it today if Yoshino was ever going to start feeling better.

If it was fear Miku would be there to try and comfort her and tell her it was ok to be scared, if it was anger Miku would do her best to offer a proper apology and express her deep regret over what had happened, if Yoshino wanted answers like Yoshinon had mentioned Miku would give her them to the best of her ability, and finally if Yoshino just needed someone to cry to Miku would be there. After what she had witnessed the day before there was nothing Miku wasn't willing to do in order to help Yoshino overcome her fears and pains. Shido had been there to help Miku deal her problems and routinely went to extreme lengths to help each spirit handle their issues so now Miku felt like it was her time to pay it forward and step up to aid another. Despite the fear and pain it would probably cause her to go over the details of her actions with Yoshino Miku would not falter here. She would treat Yoshino to a splendid morning of shopping to help calm her heart, they would do whatever was necessary to help Yoshino heal, then the two of them would go home and watch anime together! Come hell or highwater Miku was going to make sure the day had a happy ending with the two of them smiling as friends god dammit!

Whatever her plans were for the night at the present moment Miku was sitting on a bench next to a massive pile of clothes she picked out for Yoshino to try on in the changing booths. If Miku wasn't feeling so frustrated she would be inside the booth trying to help her change but after the sprint outside she felt the need to get off her feet for a second or two.

"Running in heels hurts so much!" she moaned taking off her disguise

"**Maybe you should have just ditched them? It's not like you don't have more" **said Yoshinon from inside the booth

"These are some of my favorites! They have these little things on them that perfectly match my hairclip!"

"Why do you think their are so many people with cameras out there?" asked Yoshino who could be heard changing her clothes

"**Who knows? Think someone knew Miku was coming here today?"**

"Impossible! Not even my manager knows I'm here today and I never told darling exactly where we were going" explained Miku

"**I suppose you have a point, still I really wonder what's going on? It looks like a manhunt or something"**

"I hope no one dangerous is around here" said Yoshino fearfully

In her head she could imagine being corned down some dark alley by a huge scary looking man armed with some sort of knife or axe. She'd cower against a wall while they took slow lumbering steps towards her before raising their bloody weapon to…

"**Yoshino! Your mind is scaring you again. We came out here to try and stop doing that remember?"** interrupted Yoshinon breaking her out of her daydream

"S-Sorry!" she apologized

Yoshinon was right, her paranoia and fears were what had been plaguing her as of late and today was supposed to be the day she started trying to heal. Letting her imagination run wild with such ideas was only going to hurt her so she needed to stop before she worked herself up again.

"Don't worry I'm sure the police would be out here if someone like that was running around" reassured Miku

A serial killer or escaped convict would draw out a lot of cameras to be sure but such an individual would also draw out the police who were curiously absent from the crowds aside from one or two on patrol.

"You're right Miku" said Yoshino with a breath of relief

"Of course, now then do you need any help in there?' offered Miku feeling a second wind coming on

"I got it"

"Ok, just tell me if you need help dear" Miku repeated her offer again

"**After yesterday I thought you would have gotten your fill of seeing Yoshino's naked body Miku, I guess not" **said Yoshinon poking his head out from between the changing room curtains

"Yoshinon!" scold the puppets owner dragging them back inside the booth

"**What? I mean you were completely naked just standing in front of her during your fit yesterday! She had plenty of time to enjoy seeing your exposed beauty then!"**

"Agh...Why didn't I grab a towel?!" moaned Yoshino in embarrassment

"**Honestly if you weren't talking about such depressing stuff that show you put on would have been the highlight of Miku's week!"**

"Yoshinooonnn!" groaned Yoshino "Stop talking about it please! It's embarrassing!"

"**Do you think on some level you WANTED to expose yourself to Miku?"**

"What?!"

"**You seemed really eager to have her touch you in all those sensitive places. I wonder are there any feelings you might be hiding towards her of the yuri variety perhaps?"**

Miku could hear Yoshino choke and trip inside the booth, apparently that question had been a bit too much for her to handle.

She could be heard getting back up before responding with "No! I mean...she's really cute and nice but….I love someone else already!"

"**So you're admitting you're yuri with Natsumi then?"**

"Yes! Wait...What? No!"

"**But I thought you said…"**

"Shido! I love Shido!" Yoshino screamed in frustration

"**Oh ok"** replied Yoshinon calmly before calling out to Miku as though he had planned this **"Hey Miku! You hear that?"**

"Yes" replied Miku who had listened in on every glorious word of the conversation with bated breath

'_Yoshino called me cute!'_ she internally gushed

"**Good make sure to tell Shido you heard Yoshino say that next time you see him! She's too scared to do it herself!" **

"You can count on me!" vowed Miku making a determined pose with a fist raised in the air

"What are are you two doing?!" cried Yoshino as the situation spiraled out of control

"**You need to be more open with your feelings about others, I'm helping"** taunted her puppet

"No you're not!" Yoshino denied "You're doing things behind my back!"

"Yoshino have you told darling you love him lately?" asked Miku

"Not directly...But I'm sure he knows it" admitted Yoshino awkwardly

"Next time we meet him you need to say it to his face and ask for a nice big kiss on the lips! Like I do!" Miku suggested

"**Yoshino's not that good with expressing her feelings whether they be good or bad"**

"I can't just act like that. What if I say something wrong? Besides Miku aren't we supposed to be competition? Why help me?"

"Competition?" asked a puzzled Miku

"**She's referring to the great race for who gets to claim Shido's love once and for all! The winner is the one who gets to walk the aisle with Shido wearing a wedding dress"**

"Ah! I see…" replied Miku knowingly

"Only one of us can win, Yoshinon says I need to be ready to burn as many bridges as I have to if I see a chance to win" explained Yoshino who had been constantly schooled by her hero on the drastic measures she would need to take to win

"Those rules stink then!" said Miku with a pout

"What do you mean?"

Miku had a lustful smile cross her lips as she playfully replied "Well, I don't mind if it's a...how do you say...tie?"

"**Oh harem route! I love those!" **said Yoshinon while his owner choked in response

"H-Harem route!? Isn't that illegal!?"

"Who cares?" Miku answered as though it was only a minor annoyance to her "Can't we all just be Shido's brides?

"**Hey Yoshino doesn't that sound nice? You and everyone else sharing Shido instead of having someone go away sad from being dumped by him?"** asked Yoshinon

" . . !" Yoshino babbled incoherently as her brain preceded to melt down while trying to follow the conversation

"Would Yoshino like that Yoshinon? Would she be open to such an...arrangement?" asked Miku coyly

"**Well Yoshino really doesn't want anyone to be sad if she gets to marry Shido. As long as she gets to be a mommy and nice wife for him she'd probably ok with sharing"**

"Just imagine all of us wearing wedding dresses waiting at the end of the aisle for daring to walk up to us and tie the knot!" Miku said staring off into space again "Oh Tohka would look so good in a bridal gown! of course so would the twins! And little Yoshino&amp;Natsumi too!"

"**Yoshino is actually really open to such an arrangement if everyone else would get on board too"**

"Excellent! That makes my plan easier then" Miku said happily

"**What plan?"**

"Oh nothing" the idol innocently replied

'_I offered darling a harem back in that DEM tower. I wonder if he has any idea I FULLY intend to give him one still? Naturally he would share with me...'_ thought Miku as she crossed Yoshino's name off a mental checklist she was keeping

_Yoshino: Open minded_

_Tohka: Unknown, problems with Origami_

_Origami: Unknown, suggest it's what Shido wants to convince_

_Natsumi: Unknown, suggest it's what Yoshino wants to convince_

_Kaguya&amp;Yuzuru: Unknown, open to shared relationships_

_Kotori: Unknown, More open to suggestion when wearing white ribbons?_

"**Doesn't sharing Shido with Natsumi as his wives sound nice Yoshino?"**

"Um...I'm done!" screamed Yoshino loudly as she bolted out of the changing booth dressed in the outfit Miku had chosen in an attempt to end the conversation before she had to answer her hero's question

It seemed to work as Miku took in the adorable sight before her with twinkling eyes and flushed cheeks, completely forgetting what they had been talking about. Yoshino was currently wearing a light blue sun dress with short frilly sleeves that matched her flawlessly, the color went well with her sapphire eyes and the simple nature of the dress seemed to be a great compliment to her personality.

"Wait! Try this too!" Miku eagerly said seeing a way to improve the look

Reaching into one of the bags she grabbed a large white ribbon and gently affixed it around Yoshino's neck before tying it off with a bow knot.

"AWWW! You look like a present!" Miku gushed looking back on her handiwork

"**Maybe she can give herself to Shido?" **teased Yoshinon

"If he won't take her I most certainly will!" Miku offered

Miku's eyes sparkled as she watched Yoshino spin around twirling her dress while inspecting the outfit in a nearby mirror.

"You think Shido would think this is cute?" Yoshino asked

"**Yoshino you have untapped natural beauty, anything you wear would look good to him!"**

"That's right Yoshino! I'd bet even a old dirty sack could look good on someone as cute as you!" cheered Miku

"It is kinda nice isn't it?" asked Yoshino looking satisfied by what she saw in the mirror

She gave the bow a gentle tug to adjust it and continued to scrutinize her appearance for any flaws.

"Huh?"

Out of the corner of her eye Yoshino could see a blur of orange, black, and red in the reflection that looked vaguely familiar, by the time she could turn to face it whatever it was had vanished out of sight among the rows of clothing racks.

"What's wrong Yoshino?"

"I think I saw something" Yoshino explained

"Don't tell me those vultures followed us?!" Miku asked

Miku stood up at alert and began scanning the store trying to spot any hidden paparazzi or the glint of a camera lens as Yoshino explained what she saw.

"I think I saw Kaguya"

"Kaguya?" asked Miku

"Yeah"

"**Oh no! Please tell me she wasn't wearing a maid outfit this time!" **called out Yoshinon in alarm

"How does that matter?" Miku asked in much confusion

"**Whenever Yoshino has an hallucination about someone she always sees them in them in the most hostile form her mind can come up with!You appear in your full astral dress looking pissed off, Natsumi shows up unsealed, Origami and Tohka show up in their inverse forms, and the twins show up as brainwashed maids with their limited dresses out!"** warned Yoshinon

"It's that specific?! How often do these happen?!"

Yoshinon had briefly touched on Yoshino's visions yesterday after her attack in the spa however Miku was unaware these were a common enough occurrence to nail down a pattern!

"They all started last week" said Yoshino painfully "I'm not sure of the number but usually they show up two to three times a day"

"**Basically after Yoshino spent too long thinking too deep about bad stuff she'd have a vision where a scary version of someone would show up. Mostly these lasted only a few seconds before they went away which is why that one she had yesterday was such a doozy!"**

"I didn't know it was that often…" Miku spoke softly as she felt a spike of guilt hit her in the chest

"**Yoshino was she in a maid outfit? Are you seeing anyone else? Inverse Tohoka? Adult Natsumi? Those weird aliens with the box shaped helmets and orange jumpsuits? Are there any tentacle monsters?"** asked Yoshinon sounding both worried and a little condescending

"Nothing like that, I just thought I saw Kaguya for a second" explained Yoshino calmly

"**You sure? No mothership? No glowing people preaching strange things? No cybernetic ninjas?" **he asked again sounding almost disappointed by Yoshino's lack of interesting visions

"Um...no?"

Secretly she felt a little insulted that Yoshinon was treating her like a crazy person screaming about government conspiracies while wearing a tinfoil hat but since she was actually having hallucinations from time to time it felt wrong to act offended by his tone.

"**Oh well, if they were good ninjas you wouldn't be able to see them anyway" **

"You saying weird things Yoshinon…" said Yoshino

"I don't see anyone here and I can't imagine they'd come into such a store by chance" interrupted Miku who had yet to see any sign of others in the store

The shop they were in mostly stocked outfits that were a bit more dainty than anything Miku could see them being interested in although she could definitely see them looking good in quite a few of the wares.

'_Kaguya would look so cute in that pink dress I saw earlier! If I see anything that would match Yuzuru I need to pick to pick that up' _though Miku

"It was probably just nothing" Yoshino said

"You sure? I want you to tell me if you need any help Yoshino"

Miku was concerned about what Yoshinon had said about Yoshino's hallucinations and wanted to make sure everything was ok lest they have an incident like in the spa again. Rataoskr may have been distracted but Yoshino freezing half a store would draw their and the AST's attention real quick.

"I'll be ok Miku, it was nothing" reassured Yoshino who didn't want to ruin their good time with her problems yet.

"If you say so…"

"I'm fine Miku please don't worry"

"Anyway what do you think of the dress?" said Miku dropping the issue

"It's really pretty" Yoshino answered as she looked down at herself

"**Should be with this price tag"** said Yoshinon grabbing the tag and holding it in front of Yoshino's face

"There's no way I can buy this!"

Yoshino cried upon seeing the price which was somewhere between stupidly expensive and "What idiot would buy this?!" expensive. When Miku had mentioned this store had good deals she had forgot to factor in that the idol was working in an entirely different realm of disposable income from what was the norm at the Itsuka household.

"**I can see why you shop here to get away from people Miku, no sane person would even think to come in a store with these prices!"**

"I'll have to put it back" said Yoshino who refused to waste the money Rataoskr gave her on something like this

"Oh don't worry I already bought it for you!" said Miku cheerfully drawing a sharp response from owner and puppet

"What?!"

"**What?!"**

"I knew that everything here would look good on little Yoshino so I went ahead and bought it all ahead of time!" explained Miku holding out a gold card and gesturing to the piles of bags next to her which somehow looked much bigger after she had dropped that bombshell

"You can't! That's way too much money!" objected Yoshino

"(Giggle) Too late! Already done!"

Miku had known this would be Yoshino's reaction upon hearing of the price issue and that's why she decided to buy everything she really wanted to her to have in advance. Now that everything was already taken care of Yoshino had no way to let her modesty take over and refuse the gifts Miku wanted to give her.

"B-But Miku!"

"Hey hey hey! No buts! This is hardly anything for an idol. And don't you dare say you'll pay me back! Seeing you in these outfits is repayment enough for me!"

Yup, Miku could care less about the money (Besides it was practically nothing for her anyway). Knowing Yoshino would have plenty of cute things to wear while she was staying at her mansion was worth a hundred times what she had paid in Miku's mind.

"**Just say thank you Yoshino, there's no point in arguing with her on this and you know it"**

Yoshino blushed and dropped into a deep bow to politely show her (somewhat hesitant) gratitude for the forced gifts.

"Thank you Miku!"

Miku gave her a small smile and told her it was no problem before mentioning something else she wanted to give Yoshino to try on.

"It's no problem of course but there is one thing you can do for me"

"What?" asked Yoshino eagerly looking for a way to repay her kindness

A devious grin crossed Miku's face as she pulled out a package and a pair of scissors from her bag…

* * *

Meanwhile at the back of the store two orange haired spies continued to watch the pair from their shelter inside a round clothing rack. The two of them would peek their faces out in between the clothes to spy on Yoshino and Miku before ducking back in if they needed to hide. Their infiltration had been a masterful display of stealth according to Kaguya despite the fact that Yoshino had almost spotted her before they could hide.

"This may not be a cardboard box but nevertheless it is an effective piece of cover" said Kaguya proud of her carefully chosen hiding spot

"Observation. This would look good on you Kaguya" said Yuzuru inspecting the pink dress next to her exposed face

"Not really my color. I prefer my raiding gear to be black and have at least a 200 armor rating along with some haste and a stamina boost" her sister replied

"Response. Pink could look good on you too"

"We can talk about that another time, besides have you seen the coin these highwaymen are asking for these royal robes?!"

Yuzuru grabbed one of the tags and reacted with distaste after seeing the price of the dresses.

"Reaction. Ouch"

"There's a level in hell reserved for whoever set these prices were demons boil people alive in molten gold! What sort of mad women would shop here?!"

"Response. Miku"

"Ah yes, just what is she up to with Yoshino?"

The two of them had been watching Yoshino and Miku for the past few minutes and had seen nothing too out of the ordinary so far. After Yoshino had almost spotted Kaguya the two of them had gone back to talking but at this range it was impossible to tell what about.

"Curious. I wonder why Yoshino suddenly decided to stay with Miku. She's been so distant these past few weeks and now she's here shopping with Miku and staying over her house. It's quite the change in behavior"

"You noticed she's been acting like the living dead as well?" asked Kaguya referring to Yoshino's lack of energy

"Answer. Hard not to even with Master Origami and Tohka doing battle so often"

"Have you also noticed Yoshino giving you odd looks as of late also? I bumped into her in the main hall and she gazed at me like I was the three headed golem of the corrupted derelict about to strike her down with my plague scythe" said Kaguya

It had been a few days ago when she first became aware Yoshino was acting odd. All she had done was bump into her in the hallway by accident, both girls had been distracted in thought and caught off guard but when Kaguya went to apologize Yoshino looked at her as though she expected Kaguya to stab her. She had asked the younger girl what was wrong but had never gotten a clear answer back before Yoshino retreated back to her room throwing weird glances back at her the whole time.

"Seconded. I have seen this as well. Two days ago she spent a portion of dinner staring at Tohka like she could see something I could not" remembered Yuzuru

At the time Yuzuru could only think that Yoshino's look was one of mortal terror, like Tohka had transformed into some unholy demon spawn just sitting at the dinner table.

"This is very strange, our younger kinsman appears to be dealing with some plaque of the mind yet the high commander has told Shido time and time again all is right in the kingdom" said Kaguya who had overheard Kotori telling Shido Yoshino's happiness levels seemed fine

"Question. How does Miku factor into all of this? Is she responsable in some way?"

"You suspect discord between the two?"

"Suspicion. I can't say for sure but I get the feeling Miku may be involved in Yoshino's behavior. Just a theory anyway" answered Yuzuru

"I know Miku can be "aggressive" with maidens of beauty but I can't see her causing any harm on purpose to Yoshino" said Kaguya

Miku might have been horny as hell and a unapologetic pervert with a history of manipulating situations for her own enjoyment but to actually upset Yoshino on purpose seemed well beyond her limits.

"Perhaps an accident? Miku did something to harm Yoshino and trigger her behavior so now she's trying to correct it?" suggested Kaguya

An accident made far more sense and both twins knew that Miku's pride would never stand to leave a slight against a friend uncorrected.

"Question. But what could have happened? Miku go too far with her advances and cross a line she never meant to?"

"I know she can act like a rampaging dragon abducting virgins and burning the countryside but I can't just imagine her making an error like that" said Kaguya

"NEKO TIME!" came the excited yell of Miku cutting through the store and ending the sister's conversation

Kaguya and Yuzuru had been so caught up in their theories they had taken their eyes off their targets who were now physically struggling with each other.

"Come on Yoshino let me help you!"

"I can get the tail on myself! We aren't even in a booth!" resisted Yoshino who now had a pair of fake black cat ears attached to her head

After trying on the dress the last accessory Miku had wanted her to try had turned out to be nekomi gear the idol had brought from home. Yoshino would have attempted to complain but she pretty much never had a chance, Miku was unmatched when it came to dressing up girls in cute outfits. The attack was so swift and skilled Yoshino could just imagine Miku as some sort of cosplay ninja descending upon her prey and leaving a trail of catgirls in her wake. In a flurry of activity Miku had plopped a pair of cat ears on Yoshino's head and cut a hole in the back of the dress (which she owned already) in order to attach the matching tail adorned with a ribbon and bell. It had been at that point Miku attempted to "Help" her by trying to get under her dress to attach the tail to her hips finally causing Yoshino to try and resist. Right now the two of them were struggling with Yoshino trying to hold down the hem of her dress while Miku made every attempt to force her way inside the garment.

It was a highly indecent scene to be showing in public and if the store wasn't empty aside from a cashier who appeared to have wandered off on break someone would have likely called the police by this point. Kaguya and Yuzuru watched in terror as the idol attempted again and again to get inside Yoshino's dress with the fake cat tail flailing wildly in her hands causing the sound of the bell to ring throughout the store.

"Stripes! So cute!" teased Miku as she managed to poke her head underneath the dress at last

All Yoshino could do is scream as she knew exactly what Miku was referring to.

"Reaction. Disgust!"

"We must aid the defenders! The bastion gates will not hold out against hellbeast Miku without reinforcements!" shouted Kaguya breaking from cover to rush to Yoshino's defense

"Rally. Here we come you pervert!" added Yuzuru joining her sister

"Got it! Now then Yoshino let's see how it looks!" said Miku proudly after attaching the tail and poking it through the hole

She never got to appreciate her work as both Kaguya and Yuzuru dropped upon her from above at the same time, their battle cries mixing with Miku's scream of surprise. The twins grappled with the idol and pulled her away from Yoshino as quickly as they could before she could cause anymore harm.

Miku yelled in confusion as Yuzuru got her in a chokehold while the other sister grabbed her from behind with both arms.

"Explanation. Normally we'd resist using violence against a friend but you've gone too far this time!" shouted Yuzuru

"We will eliminate you if we must! No one shall take Yoshino's pure womanhood by force with us around!"

"Kaguya?! Yuzuru?!" labored Miku through the chokehold

"The maidens of the hurricane have come to stop you foul demon!"

"Request. Die"

"When did you get here?!"

"We were spying on you and observed you about to do impure things to Yoshino! Burn in hellfire!" declared Kaguya

"Question. Have you no shame?!"

"I was just helping Yoshino get dressed!" excused Miku "Isn't that right Yoshino?"

"..."

"Yoshino?" asked Miku after not getting a response

"..."

Now noticing something was off the three older girls stopped their struggling and turned to see Yoshino's breathing pick up, her eyes go wide, and her body start to shake and spasm.

"Yoshino?" asked Kaguya in alarm at seeing the younger girl's state

"Question. Yoshino are you alright?" asked Yuzuru with just as much concern

"No..." uttered Miku weakly knowing what was about to occur

"**It's happening again!"**

* * *

Author Note: Hope I didn't miss anything, I kinda rushed this one out. The next chapter may take a while, I have 3/4ths of it done but I think it's going to need some serious re-writes. Also Yoshino is now dressed as a cat-girl. Why? Reasons.


	8. Broken Perspective

**Date A live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 8: Broken Perspective**

Author Note: I have got to stop writing serious chapters they are just a nightmare to deal with. Plus I have a nasty habit of going completely over board when it comes to drama. No joke the first draft of this chapter actually had Yoshino nearly attempt suicide. I always meant for this story to have it's darker parts but that was just going waay off the deep end and adding drama for drama's sake. Still not completely satisfied with how this one turned out but it's at least passable after a complete re-write.

* * *

Yoshino's Mind

A scream...fighting...yelling...hate.

These were all that Yoshino could remember as her world disappeared, everywhere she looked all she could see was clouds of grey fog covering a world painted black. Everything from the floor to the ceiling had been turned black and stripped of any and all details leaving her stuck in a black and white world that looked like a video game level without any of the textures loaded in. Her mind was a mess with all her memories and perceptions scrambled and scattered like a bomb had gone off in her brain leaving her to pick through the debris for answers.

The only thing Yoshino could see that still had any color or definition in the black and white world was the three monsters she now faced.

"Oh it appears I missed one for my collection"

"Someone who dares not obey big sister's orders?"

"Reaction. Unacceptable, she must be made to see reason"

In front of Yoshino there stood three girls, two twins in maid outfits adorned with wings and locks and a taller girl wearing an elegant dress of yellow and white. She had no idea how but Yoshino knew who they were and worse she knew what they wanted, both of these things inspired terror in her.

"No! No! No! Please no!"

"_Yoshino? What's wrong?"_

"You want to resist Onee-san? Ha! We shall change that shortly!" taunted Kaguya taking a step forward aggressively

"_Question. Why do you appear so frightened?"_

"Agreement. You are a toy Aneue-samma wants so you must be acquired"

"Please! We're friends! Remember! Don't listen to her!"

Yoshino's pleas only only served to amuse their precious big sister who cruelly mocked her

"_Calm down Yoshino! You're ok! You're seeing things again! We're your friends!"_

"Ha! Friends don't matter to those who try and defy me! Your "friends" here are going to help me make a cute doll out of you yet" said astral dress Miku coming up behind the twins and lovingly giving each a kiss on the cheek

Yoshino could only continue and try to back away since she knew Miku was right. Kaguya and Yuzuru were her friends but no matter how much she loved them they weren't going to help her. The look on their faces as they reacted to Miku's kiss with pure elation told the whole story, what they wanted didn't matter as long as Miku's sick music swam in their heads making them totally devoted to her.

For a moment Yoshino considered hitting them with a blast of cold air while they were distracted by Miku's kiss so that she could at least get a head start running but her conscience wouldn't allow it. To attack a friend, even one who was confused by mind control was just something she couldn't stand to do. All she could manage was to attempt to run and find someplace to hide while she figured out what was happening.

"_**Don't Yoshino! It's just another bad trick by your mind!"**_

"_Yoshino?"_

"Oh? What is it you plan to do?" asked Miku amused upon seeing Yoshino's body tense up

"I won't let you take me!" screamed Yoshino as she ran blindly away from the three before they could act

"_Alert. What? Yoshino! Why are you running?"_

"Alert. She's attempting to flee!"

"_Yoshino! What's wrong?! Are you gripped by madness?!"_

"You won't escape! We shall bring big sister the toy she wants!"

"_Kaguya! Yuzuru! We need to stop her!"_

"Stop her! I won't let any of my possessions escape!" ordered Miku enraged by Yoshino's act of defiance

"_**Aghhh! Her mind is trying to tear itself apart!"**_

Yoshino fled at top speed through the disconjointed landscape seeing only blurry shadows and vague shapes as she passed. She didn't have any clue where she was going but all she knew was that she had to escape.

* * *

Real World

"Yoshino!" Kaguya called as the blue haired spirit fled the store

She was quick to reach the doorway and flee down the street bobing and weaving throught the crowd all the while still dressed in her neko gear. The twins and Miku chased after her as a group while they pestered the Idol for and explanation.

"Alarm. What is going on Miku? Why is Yoshino acting this way?!"

"She's possessed by a demonic terror!"

"I don't have time to explain! All I can tell you is that Yoshino's hallucinating right now!" Miku shouted

"Worry. Is this the work of some new spirit?!"

"I'll banish any who would do this to Yoshino into the pits of hell!

It was not an unrealistic concern to have considering the two sisters were running besides Miku who had, in fact, used her spirit powers to temporarily control their minds back in September. As of late it seemed like every new spirit decided to attack the previous sealed ones so it was easy to imagine Yoshino had become the victim of some new type of angel that caused you to see illusions.

"Reinforcements. I'll contact Ratatoskr" said Yuzuru reaching for her phone and selecting the speed dial contact for the Ratatoskr emergency number

It was a newer thing Ratatoskr had been working with after all the incidents that had left Yoshino feeling so scared in the first place. Any of the girls could call that number and that would send a giant S.O.S. to Kotori that they needed help as fast as possible. The second that number was called the teleporter on the ship would lock onto the position of every spirit and Shido and bring them all together while the bridge went to red alert. Anyone who wasn't picked up would have a bunch of auto cameras launched towards their last known location in an attempt to find them and make sure they were ok. As much as Yoshino didn't like what had happened with the last few spirits Kotori actually was trying to make things better and increase the security around the girls to keep them from getting kidnapped or ambushed again.

"No! It's not a new spirit! Put away the phone!" yelled Miku knowing that if Yuzuru hit that button any hope she had to keep this a secret would fly right out the window

"If it's not a new foe than what is it?" Kaguya asked

"I can't say at the moment but we need to catch Yoshino-san before her powers start going out of control!"

"Chaos. With this many people around Yoshino's powers could cause serious harm and reveal us to the media"

The three were currently running through a sea of people with cameras who oddly hadn't noticed them yet but the second Yoshino started shooting ice blasts everywhere that would change quickly.

"We must capture our target and bring her back to her senses quickly then!"

"Yoshino's hallucination is making her see all her friends as enemies right now so we need to be careful. She won't trust you and might attack meaning we have to take things slowly"

"Question. She sees us as enemies?"

"You mean we look like AST or DEM to her?" asked Kaguya who somehow found the mental image of her and her sister as AST girls mildly amusing for some reason

"According to Yoshinon her visions make her see the most dangerous version of someone she can think of, all of which are out to get her. Right now that means she thinks I'm unsealed and trying to brainwash her so I can make her into my possession again"

"Memory. Just like when we first met at the school festival?"

When Miku's solo had entered the twins ears they had blacked out for over half a day during which time they had became her loyal fans obeying any order without question and living only to serve her needs. Shido had only briefly explained to the two of them what had happened during that time but by the sounds of it Miku had attempted to collect every spirit with her mind control to keep as playthings. While Yuzuru wouldn't say the idea of Miku treating her and the others as dolls was a pleasant thing to think about (considering how the yuri spirit treated their bodies even after she was sealed) she had forgiven Miku for playing with her mind when the idol had apologized later.

"Yes, if what Yoshinon said is true she most likely thinks you're brainwashed by me" Miku admitted painfully

"Problem. She will not trust anything we say and assume we mean her only ill will" replied Yuzuru knowing Yoshino wouldn't trust someone she believed was mind controlled

"This will make halting her meltdown as easy as stopping a rampaging Kaiju!"

"Don't hurt her but we need to stop her no matter what. Avoid using your angels if you can" instructed Miku

"Agree. To escalate things will only make her more frightened"

Yuzuru knew would make things much easier if she and her sister could just summon their angels to wrap Yoshino in some wind to float her off the ground. However if the younger spirit really thought they were only trying to capture her so Miku could brainwash her as well and add her to the collection she would surely respond by summoning her own angel to escape.

"How will we stop her then? We lack any bindings or crowd control abilities without our powers" Kaguya pointed out

"Let's just try and get her away from everyone else first!" Miku suggested despite not knowing how on earth they could do that herself

"Observation. Some alarm is moving throughout the crowd already. Has Yoshino used her powers?!" Yuzuru wondered upon seeing the commotion that seemed to be sweeping through the packed street.

Normally a famous Idol chasing a little girl in nekomi gear though the streets would get a lot of people's attention but for some reason everyone seemed to be too busy staring at the rooftops to notice their little scene.

"Everyone is looking towards the sky?" asked Kaguya glancing upwards herself

"News report. The vigilante just appeared two blocks from here" explained Yuzuru glancing at her phone

Before setting out that day she had programed the news app she used to highlight any new stories about the vigilante so she and her sister could rush to the site with their camera.

According to her phone about three minutes ago several people had seen someone running across the rooftops matching the rough description the media had provided.

"Who cares about that!? Yoshino's getting away!" shouted Miku who could only barely see Yoshino moving through the crowds by looking for the cat ears on her head poking up from the mass of people

Miku had no idea what the vigilante was or why them showing up was important but she did know that she and the twins had a chance to get Yoshino back to her senses without being spotted so they needed to take it.

"Right!" agreed Kaguya who was slightly annoyed by having to pass on her chance to get a picture of the mysterious stranger

"Alert. Yoshino is attempting to hide in the alleyways!"

Up ahead Yuzuru could see Yoshino break from the crowds and bolt down an abandoned back alleyway at full speed. Miku and the twins followed suit but quickly lost sight of their friend around one of the bends in the twisting maze of corridors that snaked the district.

"Not good. Where'd she go?" said Yuzuru in alarm as she glanced at the two open paths in front of them

Yoshino had managed to lose them right before they came upon a threeway intersection leaving them with no way of knowing if she had taken the left or right passageway. Even though they couldn't see her they knew she couldn't have gotten far meaning they had to figure out which way she went before Yoshino had a chance to build up a good lead on them.

"Darn it! This labyrinth has too many paths! We don't have time to check them all!" cursed Kaguya

"Yoshino! Where are you?!" yelled Miku desperately

**Thwip!**

As if in response to Miku's plea a golden arrow came sailing through the air past them and embed itself in the ground along the pathway to the right causing the girls to jump.

"Suprise. Ambush?!"

"Ahh! Where'd that come from?!"

Yuzuru and Miku cautiously looked out for more attacks Kaguya let her curiosity get the better of her and walked over to inspect the strange projectile.

Bending down she could see the intricate missile had a black shaft adorned with metallic golden highlights and had pieced the ground with incredible force, sinking almost half its length into the concrete below. Whatever had fired the arrow had some serious power behind it since she couldn't remove it from the ground no matter how hard she pulled.

After failing to yank it up several times Kaguya finally noticed something else next to arrow which was only barely visible in the dim light of the alleyway.

"Companions! I have located our quarries tracks!"

Indeed it looked like Yoshino was freezing the ground beneath her with each step leaving a faint trail of frozen patches of ice in the shape of Yoshino's shoes. It was hard to see from a distance but up close it was easy to spot the marks the spirit of cold was leaving behind her as she fled.

"Trail. Yoshino's powers must be coming unsealed and it appears to be getting worse" Yuzuru said noting how the ice patches got bigger as they lead away from where they began

"We need to find her!" urged Miku fearful of what Yoshino could do with her powers while suffering from her visions

One civilian in the wrong place at the wrong time could look like a member of the AST or DEM to her for all they knew and if she used her powers to defend herself she could seriously injure or even kill someone!

"Agree. We cannot let this stand!" Yuzuru replied grabbing Kaguya's hand and pulling her along the pathway despite her sister's attempts to go back and continue to try and remove the strange arrow.

"Hey hold on! That may be an artefact of the vigilante!"

"No time. We need to help Yoshino!"

"But it could be important!"

"We have to save Yoshino-san first!"

"Argh! You're right! We'll come back and claim it later!"

As much as such things interested her she wasn't the type to get her priorities so mixed up when a friend was in danger. She did her best to mentally mark down where the arrow had dropped before rushing to join her sister and Miku in following Yoshino's trail.

It got easier and easier to tell which way the ice spirit had gone as they continued hunting her down through the backstreets. The patches of ice Yoshino was leaving in her wake kept getting larger indicating she was losing control more and more as time went on. What started as small strips of ice on the ground rapidly turned into what looked like the aftermath of a serious icestorm freezing everything in the alleyway.

"Hazardous terrain. Be careful with your footing"

"It's like the lair of a frost golem here! At this rate Yoshino will bury the entire district!"

"We can't let Yoshino-san do that!"

Thankfully it looked like their chase in the arctic conditions would not last much longer since the three spotted a telltale patch of blue hair off in the distance which turned out to be Yoshino who appeared to be bent over in exhaustion after running for so long.

Due to her always riding into battle on top of Yoshinon Yoshino easily had the worst stamina of all the spirits (minus Natsumi possibly) leaving her at a serious disadvantage in a foot chase with arguably the most athletic of the spirits Kaguya and Yuzuru. Even Miku had surprisingly good endurance thanks to her active life as an idol always going to events or practicing her dancing leaving Yoshino with no chance of outlasting them during a run.

"**You three! She's over here!"**

Yoshino's head shot up and her eyes bulged upon hearing her hero call out to the three spirits approaching her. Before Miku or the twins could offer up a word in their defense she turned and bolted down another corridor only to realize too late that she had just run into a dead end.

"No! Nonononononono!" cried Yoshino frantically scratching at the wall in front of her like a caged animal as the three other girls came up behind her boxing her in on all sides.

"Yoshino-san! Calm down! Please!" begged Miku upon seeing her struggle

"I can't listen! I can't hear that music! Stay away from me!"

It was heartbreaking for the idol to she her friend cowering like this just because she saw Miku as her old self, Yoshino was so terrified of her and the twins she looked ready to soil herself in fear.

'_Just how much does the old me scare you Yoshino?' _

Kaguya and Yuzuru also couldn't help but look at their friend with sympathy while she banged her fists against the brick wall all the while screaming for help.

"Someone help me! Please! Shido! Tohka! Kotori! Anyone!? I don't want to hear that song!"

"Concern. What has happened to our Yoshino?" Yuzuru said sadly watching the struggle

"How could her mind be full of such terror?" added Kaguya wanting so badly to walk over and give the spirit a hug

"She needs help, I'll explain everything after we calm her down" Miku promised

Although she had sworn to Yoshino they would try and keep this a secret there was simply no way Miku would be able to leave the twins in the dark after seeing this display of mortal terror. With any luck they might not tell the rest of the girls but after getting dragged into this Kaguya and Yuzuru deserved a good explanation after this was all over.

"Right"

"Agree. That must wait"

With the twins in agreement Miku slowly advanced intending to get close enough to talk to her friend more clearly. Unfortunately Yoshino was quick to respond by sending a wave of razor sharp icicles erupting from the ground nearly impaling Miku as they missed her by a hair's width.

"Keep away from me! I won't let you play your angel!" Yoshino yelled with her hands raised to launch another attack if needed

"Miku are you unharmed!?"

"Caution. You can't handle an attack like that without your dress on!"

"I'm ok!"

Although Miku reassured the twins she was ok she took a step back and glanced at the frozen spears flanking her side. They had been right of course, if that attack had hit it would have ripped Miku's body to shreds without her limited release astral dress protecting her. Miku could tell it was only meant to scare her off since there was no way Yoshino could miss with an attack that large at this type of distance. Still it was a terrifying to see how much power Yoshino had been willing to use in what was merely a warning shot. Aside from that Yoshino wasn't usually the type to use such lethal attacks due to her gentle nature. She was fully prepared to kill Miku to protect herself from whatever fate her illusion self was threatening her with.

"**Miku you can't get any closer! Yoshino is willing to attack you!" **

"Yoshinon you have any luck getting Yoshino back to her senses?"

"**This is a really bad one! Her brain is totally scrambled! I can't get her to hear me at all!"**

"Action. What can we do to help her?" Yuzuru asked

"**Careful you two! You look like a pair scary maids trying to collect a new toy for big sis to Yoshino!"**

Yuzuru and her sister took a tentative couple of strides forward before Yoshino saw them approach as well. Thankfully she reacted much less violently than she had with Miku and held back her attacks.

"Kaguya Yuzuru! Please keep back! I know you can't help yourselves but please don't get any closer!" she warned pointing her outstretched hand towards the two of them as if preparing another ice barrage

Her voice trembled in fear and her raised hand shook as she made her warning making it clear attacking the twins was a much harder proposition for her since she truly believed them to be nothing more than her brainwashed friends who couldn't be blamed for their actions. Kaguya and Yuzuru returned Yoshino's gaze with both sympathy and caution knowing she could cause them serious harm with her powers.

"Yoshino it's just us! Your comrades! Lower your defenses and quit drinking the poison of madness!"

"Kaguya please stay back! I don't want to hurt you! Please don't make he hurt you!"

"No good she won't trust us" Kaguya complained to her sister

"Loyalty. She views us as nothing more than Miku's possed pawns" replied Yuzuru

"Our words and actions are poisoned by spells then. How can we change this?"

"Keep back! Keep back! Everyone just please keep back!" Yoshino continued to beg sounding almost delirious with fear

No one was even trying to get close to her anymore and yet her pleading continued as if her body was going on autopilot. Yoshino's eyes were choked with tears and her forehead was damp with sweat. She was truly at her limit both physically and emotionally forcing her right to the breaking point.

"I won't let your music control me! I'd rather die! I can't! I just...ugh!"

"Yoshino!" Miku screamed

As she had begun another desperate bout of pleading her body's ability to run solely off adrenaline hit a wall causing Yoshino to drop to the ground on her knees in exhaustion. Unlike yesterday her body was worn out from running before she had started her standoff meaning it was only a matter of time before it gave out on her. Unable to even stand anymore Yoshino was left kneeling before the three barely able to hold her own head up and panting heavily. Even if her mind was willing to fight against Miku and the twins her body was done.

"No! Please not the...solo!...head...heavy...why?"

**Thud!**

With those last words Yoshino crumpled to the ground embracing the sweet peace of sleep as she fainted. The last things she saw before she completely blacked out was a trio of spirits running over to her shouting her name in a panic.

* * *

Minutes later

"It's gone! The artefact of the vigilante is gone!"

"No trace. The retrieval of all operational materials makes sense to ensure secrecy is not compromised"

"Darn it! Imagine the glory retrieving proof of the their existence would bring us! Not just a picture but one of the weapons they used!

"SHHHH! Yoshino-san is resting now and I don't want to risk waking her up until we're someplace safe!"

"The right call. We shall escort Yoshino to a safe zone and you can give us our briefing on the current situation"

"I can't believe it's gone…"

"Regret. Sorry my sister but this hunt is not ours it appears. There shall be other battles in our future, we may have already found a situation more worthy of the skills of the Yamai sisters"

"(Sigh) As always Yuzuru is correct on all points. Let us continue to a safe haven to trade details on black deeds"

"Don't you worry Yoshino, Big sis will take care of you and make sure you're safe until you wake up from your nap!"

The lone figure watched the owners of the voices slowly walk away far below their perch on the ledge of a nearby rooftop. The warrior said not a thing while two heavily computerized voices conversed over their armor's communication system.

"Well that was pointless!- Unexpected. Why did you intervene Operator?" spoke the first robotic voice sounding as if it was fighting with itself

"Such distractions are Irrelevant, the mission is still underway Tenno. We got what we came for and that's all that matters" said a second female voice with authority

"I still don't understand how beating up common street trash! -these targets helps us"

"We need to track down the data slate DEM recovered from their experiment into the void tower. They have spies and contacts hidden all over this city including disguised intel officers working with local criminal forces. If we can locate these officers and recover their security passcodes we can break into the DEM network at one of their secure server farms and take the data we need"

"So pretty much;Go here, fight this, craft this key, sneak into here, and finally steal this?"

"Correct"

"Some things never change!- A brilliant plan as always Lotus"

"We need to hurry, DEM cannot be allowed to have access to such a technological edge for long. Every day we waste they come closer to unlocking the secrets contained within that slate. This cannot be allowed to happen"

"Indeed. Operator I shall begin searching for our next target please return to the ship when you are done in this primitive hellhole!- on the ground"

Without a word the armored figure acknowledged the order and began leaping from rooftop to rooftop as they fled from the area.

* * *

Author Note: Originally when I was thinking of what to write my first plan was a Warframe crossover where Kaguya and Yuzuru joined with a lone Tenno to discover and stop some terrible DEM plan. The whole Miku/Yoshino thing was meant to be a secondary plot but I ending up liking it so much I just ran with that instead but decided to keep some of the elements of the first plan for fun. So there's a random tenno running around in the background doing stuff, if you don't know or don't care about Warframe don't worry this as much of an appearance they will be making for a very long while.

As always please leave reviews if you like the story. This next chapter is being a nightmare to finish and I could use the encouragement.


	9. Nightmares

**Date A live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 9: Nightmares**

Author Note: This is a very short chapter meant to be little more than a bonus I threw together in about 20 mins. The next full chapter is going to take a bit longer to finish up.

* * *

Nightmares were cruel things.

There was a good reason Kurumi was called "Nightmare"

It's because, like a nightmare, she was a vast black horror that descended upon you in seemingly infinite numbers that simply laughed off any attempt to stop her. To both Nightmares physical strength and intelligence didn't matter, you were their prey and it didn't matter how much they had to bend reality they were coming to get you. All you could do was run, hide, and pray for mercy…

Yoshino hated nightmares…

Right now she was stuck in the darkness of her sleeping mind watching as they all played out before her, each scene more horrible than the last.

"Stop it! Ugh! Stop! Kaguya! Yuzuru!"

Yoshino could see a stage in the void performing a play of 5 people (and one puppet) that was a grim and bitter tragedy in the making. Upon that stage Shido was being mercilessly blown around by the Yamai twins while Miku watched the show from a throne made of ice created by a brainwashed Yoshino who worked restlessly to fan her.

"I think another of his bones broke my sister, I wonder how long it will take for those flames to heal it this time?"

"Degrade. The force healing his wounds is weakening, they are taking longer each time"

"Big sister shall praise us for each ligament we tear! Let us continue!"

Throughout this exchange Yoshino continued to fan Miku until Shido's flames stop appearing and his body stopped moving; dead.

Fade to Black…

* * *

Another vision took it's place, this one showing a mentally broken Shido being taunted by a girl who looked like Yoshino but was clearly not her.

"What's wrong Shido-kun?" mocked the fake "You're precious Yoshino is right here! Aren't you happy?!"

"Damit Natsumi! Damn you!" Shido yelled before getting blasted back

Behind the doppelganger appeared a mirror showing a trapped and begging Yoshino banging on it's surface.

"What is this?! Let me out! Someone let me out! I don't want to be here! I just wanted to go to bed! I don't want this! Shido! Shido help me!"

"Oh don't worry, I'll take good care of you and all your friends...forever!" Natsumi psychotically laughed dismissing both the mirror and the vision.

Another…

* * *

This time it was a burning city.

It was HER city.

The only place Yoshino ever really called home was reduced to rubble and she could do little other than stumble around the debris looking for hope.

She found none beneath the shattered bodies of her friends who laid strewn about the battlefield locked in a permanent look of pain.

Tohka: Arm blown off laying facedown with the missing limb and her sword close by

Kaguya and Yuzuru: Semi-buried under a stack of concrete with Kaguya attempting to shield her sister who went down first

Miku: Laying next to Yoshino battered and bruised with a trail of blood leaking from her mouth

Natsumi: Dead in Yoshino's arms with a massive scar where her right eye should be

Kotori: Last seen falling from the sky several blocks away with a hole in her chest

"I'm...I'm the only one left...I can't...this is...why?...no!" choked out Yoshino hugging Natsumi's corpse; her mind almost completely gone from fear

"Only one left" repeated the inverse spirit flatly as Origami and her "Wings" prepared to strike her down

"Shido...Shido where are you?! I don't want to die alone! I really don't want to die alone! I just want to hear someone else's voice before I die! Anyone!"

"How about mine then? Kuku~" came a dark laugh from behind her as the world faded away to the black void

In the darkness stood the other type of nightmare; Kurumi; wearing a wicked grin as she walked towards Yoshino clapping.

"Such a fine display! Your capacity for terror is truly a sight to behold!"

"What do you-?" Yoshino asked before getting interrupted

"Just think Yoshino-san" began Kurumi with false affection "That if you were like little old me and still had your powers you could stop some of this! A real spirit, a unsealed one, has all the power in the world at their fingertips. Don't you want that power back?"

Kurumi's eyes went wide as the full extent of her yandere side came out " Are you just going to sit back and die?!"

"But-but I can't betray Shido!" Yoshino attempted to argue

Kurumi teleported to Yoshino, stuck one of her guns in Yoshino's mouth, and stared her right in the face before yelling

**"DO YOU REALLY THINK HE CAN PROTECT YOU!?"**


	10. Broken but still Breathing

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 10: Broken but still Breathing**

**Author Note: Well I hope you're ready for a long one since this is a doozy. Sorry this took so long, I rewrote it several times and have been distracted as of late by a new game series I'm into (See below for reference as to which one). Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and talked to me about the story; it's been a huge help.**

* * *

A nearby park

With a light moan Yoshino felt herself awaken feeling groggy and confused. Waking up was always slightly disorienting but when you had no idea where you were or when you had fallen asleep it was much much worse.

She let loose a small whimper and delicately opened her eyes to see the visage of a wild orange haired girl staring down upon her; looking thrilled that she had finally awoken.

"I see you're back from the outworld. I hope your soul wasn't stolen by the crystal golems that guard the river of dreams" Kaguya teased with a fanged grin

Her tone was that of both playfulness and relief; obviously she had been worried and cracked a joke to help break the tension within herself now that things appeared ok.

"Wha…?"

Yoshino had been sleeping so deeply it felt more like someone had bashed her on the head instead of her just taking a normal nap; she needed a moment to collect herself before she could respond.

Taking stock of her present situation she found herself lying on a park bench with her head laying in Kaguya's lap and Miku's jacket draped over the top of her like a blanket.

The sun was positioned high in the sky signaling it was probably around lunch time; this meant she couldn't have been out for too, too long although at the moment it was impossible to recall when she had passed out or even what she had been doing.

'_Just like that time….'_

In her head the memory of awakening on the back of Yoshinon during a warm September night jostled her, it wasn't a good memory at all and was quickly forced it away in the face of more pressing matters.

"Uh...What happened?" she moaned

"Ummm..." Kaguya's eyes shifted around nervously before she asked a question that would sound insane to anyone just passing by "Yoshino am I….dressed as a maid to you?"

'_...not again'_ thought Yoshino in frustration once she put two and two together

In a moment of disgust with herself she didn't even answer the question but instead asked about something more important.

"Did anyone get hurt? Please tell me no one got hurt!" Yoshino begged.

She had to know first and foremost just what type of damage she caused this time, after seeing what had almost been done to Miku yesterday she _needed _to know if her friend was safe and the fact that Miku wasn't the one to greet her when she awoke frightened her.

"You may have attempted to strike Miku down with a furious vengeance" Kaguya admitted while rubbing the back of her head; a gesture that always indicated a character was speaking about something they didn't want to in all of Yoshino's dramas

"She's ok right?!" Yoshino asked in a slight panic and sincerely hoping they hadn't wrapped her in Miku's jacket because the busty idol was too dead to need it anymore.

Kaguya dismissed her concern with a wave and a gentle assurance "Be at ease my young kinsman; she was never hurt by you frozen hell barrage. Me and my sister were fine as well"

The way she reported a near life or death experience so casually highlighted just how used to such danger Kaguya and her sister was, this honestly inspired more than a few feelings of envy and admiration from Yoshino who dearly wished she could brush things off so well.

"Yuzuru was there too?"

"Yeah, we both joined the chase after you fled the marketplace of golden robes run by those highwaymen who demanded such outrageous prices"

"What were you two doing there? I thought only Miku and me were in that store""

"We came to gather intel on what Miku was doing with you since our travels brought us to this bazaar as well. Me and My sister wanted to make sure she wasn't doing vile things to you behind everyone's back"

After saying that Kaguya could not help but think _'If only this was as simple as Miku doing unclean things to you….'_

Kaguya knew she and her sister had stepped in something big when they snuck into that store and was fully aware this wasn't going to be an easy fix unlike the simple procedure of swatting Miku on the head till she stopped acting so perverted around Yoshino would have been.

Fearing that the twins weren't alone Yoshino asked "Where you out shopping with everyone? Did anyone else see what happened? Did...did Shido see what happened?"

Considering how often Tohka cleaned out Shido's refrigerator he often made trips to the store with the girls, if Kaguya and Yuzuru had been with him and run into Yoshino when she was out of her mind like that the odds were good they weren't the only ones around to see it.

"No it was just me, Yuzuru, and Miku who bore witness to your addled state. Everyone else is still back at Shido's house battling for his affections" Kaguya explained knowing the term "battle" was highly appropriate considering these last few weeks at the Itstiku household

"That's good I suppose" Yoshino said feeling slightly relieved that at least only the twins had been around to see her "condition" act up.

There was a pregnant silence between the two as Yoshino didn't want to talk any more about what had happened and Kaguya wasn't sure how to go about continuing the discussion.

This didn't last too long as a new revelation restarted their conversation when Yoshino finally decided to get up and lift the jacket off of herself in order to let Yoshinon come up for air. He never liked getting covered and got mad at her whenever Yoshino left the little puppet hidden away for too long.

"Huh?" asked Yoshino who for the first time noticed she had a hard time moving her body when she attempted to get up from Kaguya's lap

"Oh sorry about that! I meant to take those off when I was sure you weren't still in an altered frame of mind!"

Kaguya's apology was followed by her lifting up Miku's jacket to reveal Yoshino's torso had been bound together with rope pinning her arms to her body and locking Yoshinon away beneath the thick coils.

It turned out the jacket hadn't been to keep Yoshino warm at all, it was there to keep any passerbys from seeing a worried looking Kaguya keeping watch over a restrained young girl. With the jacket on Kaguya looked like a older girl keeping watch over a sleeping little sister; without it Kaguya looked like she was watching over an unconscious kidnapping victim.

The Yamai sister sat Yoshino up and appeared ready to unbind her before she thought of something and asked "You are completely back with us right? No maid outfits or astral dresses?"

Yoshino told her no and even described in detail what she was currently wearing as proof she wasn't seeing things anymore.

Satisfied with the answer Kaguya replied "Ok I shall free you from these chains then!" feeling happy to know Yoshino's vision truly had returned to her

She bent down and began to untie the complex knots only to find find it much harder than she first believed it would be.

'_What sort of sealing spell did you cast on these my sister?!' _Kaguya wondered when she noticed she didn't recognize the pattern of knot Yuzuru had used at all.

The bustier Yamai had insisted on tying the knots on the bindings herself since she claimed master Origami recently taught her how to properly restrain someone in the case they ever needed to take POWs. Needless to say such a thing was unlikely considering who they worked for but to a former soldier like Origami it didn't hurt to pass on her skills to comrades when asked.

'_I suspect sister may have had a slightly different motive for wanting to learn such techniques'_ thought Kaguya who had located Yuzuru's stash of "dark Icons" while sneaking through her room a few months back which included pictures of bound women, high quality ropes, a book called Shibari for beginners, and an actual straightjacket procured by some unknown means.

"Sorry Yoshino but this shall take a moment" Kaguya sounded uncertain and gave the unyielding ropes a few experimental tugs as she apologized.

Fazed but not deterred she went to work anyway on the binds but didn't get too far before Yoshino asked a difficult question.

"Why did you tie me up anyway?" Yoshino asked triggering a sudden pause in Kaguya's movements that gave a very clear answer

"Um…." was all Kaguya managed to say with her eyes shifting back and forth and her brain going into overdrive.

Seeing the hesitation to answer Yoshino knew that even if no one had died or been hurt it must not have been a pretty sight to sit through.

"I was really that bad this time?" Yoshino asked in both disbelief and shame

Kaguya did her best to somehow put her at ease while simultaneously uttering curses under her breath at the ropes she continued to work on.

"We just needed to keep you safe that's all. Considering (Blasted retaining wards!) we were out in public we judged it would be better to bind you until we knew your state of mind, lest more frozen havoc be unleashed unto these lands. It was little more than a miracle no one noticed you turn those alleyways back there into the frozen homeland of the nords with your rebellious powers!"

"I understand I guess…." agreed Yoshino who could find no fault in her logic "Miku said I was really bad yesterday too. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of me"

'_Because of me….' _

In her mind she repeated those words while a pair of hostile blue eyes glared down upon someone in her memory

"_I want you to die" _they seemed to say

With a quick shake of her head Yoshino purged the memory before it could take root again, that was an issue for later.

"Ah yes, She told us as much earlier during your slumber" replied Kaguya whose hands kept slipping upon the rope "(Grrr! I'll tear your life fibers apart!)"

"H-How much did she tell you two?"

"Everything from your secret communication to the pact you two made in her temple of skin(Darn it! Darn it! Darn it!)"

After finding a quiet place to hide in the abandoned park (Everyone seemed to have fled the area after the vigilante scare) Miku had sat the twins down and told them everything she could while cradling Yoshino in her arms.

It had been a rough story to tell and Miku knew Yoshino wouldn't like her secrets being shared but she had promised the twins their answers back in that alleyway so she had no choice but to follow through on that vow.

'_So they know….I didn't want them to know' _lamented Yoshino who took on a look of sickness once she heard the news

"Are you mad at her for pulling back the veil of secrets?" Kaguya asked when she saw Yoshino turn a little green

Fearing that Kaguya might think she was mad at either Miku or the twins Yoshino softened her look "No I'm-I'm sure she had a good reason. I can't get mad at her for doing the right thing or else that would mean I'd be doing the wrong thing"

"Well that's good! (Ow! My finger! Errrr!) Ummm...Sorry this is taking so long! These coils are truly a worthy foe!"

"Where did you get this rope anyway? Do you three find it somewhere?" asked Yoshino who knew a giant bundle of rope wasn't the type of thing someone just happened to have on them in this day and age.

"Not quite, for some reason Miku kept it in her bag of holding...That scares me a little to be honest" Kaguya replied feeling _very_ unsettled by the fact Miku had kidnapper-levels of rope on her for whatever reason that day.

In her mind she could only imagine why the Idol would need something like that in the first place.

"_I have you now!" teased Miku playfully as Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Yoshino's bodies hit the ground; each wrapped in perverted bondage knots around their breasts (well Yuzuru's anyway) and in between their legs_

"_Hhhmmmm!" they all cried against their gagged mouths while struggling, including a blushing Yuzuru who appeared oddly pleased at this situation_

"_Now then…" Miku licked her lips while staring down at them like a hungry predator "...Who wants to know the touch of a woman first?_

_Selecting her first victim she leaned down and stared into Kaguya's eye before pulling her crotch rope tight to elicit a muffled squeal and flushed cheeks._

"_I think I want to try riding the the storm , doesn't that sound lovely Kaguya-san?"_

"_MMMMHHHH!"_

"_Now then, try not to scream too much!"_

_Miku descended upon her; ripping off Kaguya's shorts before…._

'_What in the most unholy hells is my mind coming up with?!'_ Kaguya recoiled as she snapped out of her daydream _'Ugh! Kotori has to lift that date ban with Shido soon! Going so long without any passion between us is scrambling my brain!'_

Just when she wanted to never think about the idol again Yoshino asked a question that made that rather impossible.

"Where is Miku now?" she asked while glancing around

Coming out of her daze with a pair of slightly rosey cheeks Kaguya answered "Ah, you see, I was left as your sacred keeper until she and Yuzuru could return with the sage's robes acquired in the marketplace. The loot gained from your raid was abandoned when you fled in madness before; when Miku mentioned to my sister you had no clothes at her palace Yuzuru had the foresight to insist they return to retrieve them. The last thing she wanted was for you to have to spend the remainder of your stay there dressed as a cat spirit"

"Um...Cat spirit?" Yoshino asked; daydreaming about what that might look like

"_Go go! Kitty Kitty Barrage!" yelled Yoshino in triumph as she flew on top of a giant cat-eared Yoshinon and threw handfuls of live felines from out of bag at attacking AST girls instead of her usual ice blasts._

While Yoshino thought about that ridiculous scene Kaguya had managed to finally get the rope harness untied at the small cost of a few burns across her palms "And at last...victory!" she cheered as she tossed the battered rope away from the now freed Yoshino

Once she was up Kaguya handed the ice spirit a small mirror the yamai kept on her person in order to spy around corners or decode any hidden messages written backwards (The two sister may have watched a few too many espionage movies as of late) so she could see for herself what had been meant by the term "cat spirit"

Inside the mirror's reflection Yoshino saw she was still wearing the Nekomi gear Miku had stuffed her into back in the store; upon further reflection (When she _didn't _have another girl's head under her dress) Yoshino actually quite liked how it looked "This is...k-kind of cute" she admitted touching one of the ears

"If only her method of dressing was slightly more _consensual_" lamented Kaguya who could still picture Miku's actions

"S-She can be a l-l-little rough I suppose" replied Yoshino; thinking of the same thing

"Attempting to shove her face under your dress is a bit more than rough! Me and my sister charged her blades drawn because we thought she meant to do unclean things in that store!"

"I think I heard you two yelling before I...went away"

"You think that may have been what set you off?" Kaguya asked with a slight touch of guilt

"I really don't know what exactly causes it to happen. It can be a word, it can be a sound, pretty much anything can cause it to happen to me…"

"(Sigh) At least you're ok now, that's all that matters" assured Kaguya before thinking _'At least for now but if Miku's plan doesn't work this is going to be a major problem for us'_

How on earth could she storm onto the battlefield with Yuzuru if the two of them couldn't shout out mighty battle cries without risking Yoshino's sanity?! What was the point of engaging in epic combat on the open battlefield if you couldn't taunt your opponent like a true champion?!

"_I strike with the wrath of the righteous!"_

"_Show me what counts for fury among your misbegotten kind!"_

"_Comrades! Follow me to glory!"_

"_Ha Ha! More enemies to fight! More chances to prove my skill!_

She wouldn't be able to say any of these! She really wanted to use that fury line too!

'_That's something to be considered later I suppose, for now I must attend to my charge' _Kaguya decided to put such worries aside for the moment in order to properly care for Yoshino who was still looking a bit down after the last question.

In an effort to cheer her up Kaguya flashed Yoshino a big smile, Yuzuru often called her sister's smirk contagiously cute and about now she was hoping that was true. Just in case her grin failed to spread to Yoshino Kaguya gave the girl a few quick pats on the head, from what she had gathered and personally experienced the simple gesture of being pat on the head a few times could do wonders for a spirit's mood.

While she wasn't dancing with joy yet Yoshino did seem to lighten up a bit when Kaguya's hand brushed through her soft blue hair. She blushed slightly and a small smile formed on her lips so Kaguya knew she was on the right path. To top things off and really get Yoshino feeling good again the energetic twin pulled out something from her hoodie pocket Yoshino hadn't realized she was missing after the two had been sidetracked talking.

Like a parent presenting a child with a surprise present she teased"Oh it looks like Yoshino is smiling again! There's someone else who'd be happy to see Yoshino smile too you know…."

From out of Kaguya's hoodie pocket came a very familiar rabbit puppet with an eyepatch and button eye.

The look on Yoshino's face as she stared at the puppet in Kaguya's hands was priceless. It was the look Kaguya had seen on the faces of her (less reputable) classmates the morning a test they had forgotten to study for was shoved in their faces, it was the look of someone who had just realized they had forgotten something very important.

When the shock wore off Yoshino charged forward, shouted "Yoshinon!" and picked up the toy

Once in her hands she returned the puppet to it's rightful place where it came back to life as it always did.

"**Brainsss….Um, I mean….Carrots…. I need Carrottsss…."** the puppet moaned while imitating a zombie rising from the grave

"Yoshinon! You're ok too!" Yoshino cheered "Where did you go?!"

In response Kaguya whipped out a rag that had the leftover remains of dirt and mud on it "Your sacred idol got desecrated during the time of madness so we enacted the proper purification rites. It gave me something to do while you sleep"

"**Hmmm…. not bad, a few grimy parts here and there still…. it's better than a trip through the washing machine I suppose…."** the puppet inspected the cleaning job she had done and found it was at least "satisfactory" if not ideal

Yoshino ignored the critique and happily hugged Yoshinon to her chest while uttering confessions of joy at their return.

"I'm so glad you're ok! I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you while I was like that!" Yoshino began performing a joyful twirl that looked like she was dancing with her hero pressed to her chest in an absolutely adorable sight that evoked images of an ecstatic child receiving a new toy on Christmas morning.

While looking on even Kaguya couldn't help but think _'Aww! She's so cute like this!'_ but kept such emotions to herself out of fear of appearing too girly in public….even if no one was around.

"**You'd never forgive yourself if you hurt anyone like that" **Yoshinon pointed out while Yoshino continued to dance around and even took him off to toss him in the air a few times

"I know but I'm just so glad you're ok! I love Yoshinon so much!"

Once they were back on Yoshino's hand the puppet suddenly changed his tone** "Eh, never mind me! I'm just happy you don't think Kaguya is trying to hold you down and force your ears open so Miku can brainwash you anymore! This hallucination business is scary stuff!"**

"You really thought I was going to capture you like a pokemon for Miku?" Kaguya asked

Miku had explained Yoshino probably thought she and her sister were brainwashed again but it still felt odd to have it confirmed, she guessed a part of her was really just hoping something else had been wrong here.

"**Yup! Yoshino was convinced the two of you were dressed as Miku's maid minions again and kept vowing to bring your "favorite big sister" the new toy she wanted!"**

"I gathered as much from your fearful ravings but I must admit it's hard to hear you suffered such visions"

Yoshino turned to Kaguya and dropped into an apologetic bow "I'm sorry for thinking stuff like that about you and for putting you through whatever happened back there!"

This was met with a gentle dismissal from Kaguya who didn't want to put the poor girl through any guilt after what she had gone through today already.

With a dismissive wave she replied "Don't think like that, you saw an enemy and reacted as you should. I'm just glad you're safe"

"But-but what if I hurt you? I could have-"

Stopping her before she could continue further and possibly upset herself more Kaguya explained "I could never hold it against you no matter what you did, you know that Yoshino" giving her a few more pats to the head she added "It's just like with Miku's actual brainwashing or Tohka's inversion; we couldn't help ourselves so we can't be to blame for our actions"

Something painful shot through Yoshino's mind again.

A pair of angry blue eyes glaring down at her_ "I hate you! Die!"_

'_No, no, no! I don't want to think about that anymore!' _resisted Yoshino

She knew what thinking about that memory brought out in her and did what she could to force it out.

Thankfully for Yoshino when Kaguya saw her rub her forehead she only thought the blue haired spirit was suffering from a small headache, she never realized something much more painful was tormenting her.

While Yoshino was busy dealing with her thoughts Yoshinon saw an opening **"If only Yoshino would finally figure out what Kaguya-san is saying is right..."**

Kaguya tilted her head in confusion "Pardon?"

Snapping out of her thoughts Yoshino's hand flew to the puppet's mouth before anything else could be said "It's nothing!"

The Yamai sister wanted to investigate further, finding the sudden defensiveness odd, but before more questions could be asked a cheerful yell came singing through the air "Yoshino-san!"

Like a radar operator Yoshinon called out **"I am detecting four round, soft, large objects approaching from sector 2! Prepare for contact with busty girls! Miku class and Yuzuru class!" **

Glancing over the two girls and puppet could see the happy shout came from Miku who charged over towards them ladened with shopping bags, accompanied by the more sober Yamai sister carrying the rest behind her.

"I see our wagon train has returned with the trade goods" said Kaguya who then gave the two a wave "Oi! Miku! Yuzuru!"

Miku paid the thinner Yamai little attention as she ran past her, dropped the shopping bags, and basically tackled Yoshino before locking her in a tight bearhug. What would have normally been a friendly gesture was made much more awkward thanks to the height difference between the two girls which resulted in Miku crushing Yoshino's face against her ample bosom.

"Huh? Oh! Oaffff!"

"Oh Yoshino-san! I'm so glad you're awake!"

"Mpphhh! Mppphh!" The ice spirit never had a chance to resist as her vision filled with silken skin and cleavage before fading to black, her cries for help muffled as the two pillowy breasts smothered her.

"I was so worried about you! I didn't want to leave you for even a second but Yuzuru said we couldn't just leave all these clothes behind!"

"Weekwo! Wet Wo!" (Miku let go!)

"We had to sneak by all these crowds and it took so long to get back to the store! But I never stopped thinking about you the whole time!"

"Woo wig!" (Too Big!)

"It was horrible! I was separated from you for so long because that terrible man behind the counter insisted on seeing receipts for everything before he would let us leave with the bags!"

"Wair!" (Air!)

Yoshino began to flail around as she struggled to remove herself from Miku's prodigious bust, in a way it felt oddly comforting inside the two large objects but that didn't make the suffocation any less dangerous.

"Then we had to go through the whole district with police and seedy looking men with cameras everywhere since there's some dangerous psychopath running around out there!"

Miku was completely unaware that by this point Yoshino's head was going blank due to a lack of oxygen but thankfully she received some help from Kaguya and Yuzuru help before she could faint again.

"Marshmallow hell. Miku you are smothering her!"

"Yoshino is trapped in the valley of fascination!"

As if she were a child who had just been told they were playing with the family pet too roughly Miku innocently uttered "Huh?"before she looked down just in time to see Yoshino's body go limp in her arms.

With a terrified squeak the idol unlocked her arms and allowed Yoshino to fall from her boobs.

From the way she was blushing and moaning between breaths it was clear the little spirit was caught between some conflicting emotions about the whole ordeal as she fell to her knees.

"So big….so squishy…." Yoshino moaned while Miku was forced to hold her up

"Um, You two still on this mortal plane?" Kaguya asked

A swaying and discombobulated Yoshinon looked at Kaguya and her sister as if he just noticed they were there **"Oh Hi! Ram! Rom! You came here to hug Lady Vert today too!?"**

Rife with guilt Miku hugged Yoshino to her chest (more carefully this time) and apologized "I'm so sorry!"

"It's(Pant) (Pant) (Pant) ok..." Yoshino assured her as strength finally came back to her legs

"**There are many ways Yoshino thinks she could die one day, arguably this was the best way outside of drowning in a giant pool of chocolate"**

"I suppose such a fate is not an unpleasant way to perish…" Kaguya commented

"..."

"...What?" she asked when she noticed her sister giving her weird looks

"Denial. Nothing of note" Yuzuru replied with yet more strange stares

"Are you ok dear?" Miku asked

"I'm ok... (Heavy breathing)"

"**Minus the fact she just realized how tiny her breasts are!"**

With no energy left to even feel embarrassed Yoshino took a seat back down on the bench to try and recover. Fearing for her health Kaguya and Yuzuru moved the bags to the side for safekeeping before sitting down next to their breathless friend.

When Miku asked again if she was ok Yoshino told her she was a little thirsty (Miku's jacket had gotten into her mouth drying it out).

"There's a vending machine over there. What would you like Yoshino-san?"

"**Anything other than Milk!" **shouted Yoshinon forcing Yoshino to muzzle him again

"J-Just a soda p-please"

When asked the same question the twins responded with their orders and a minute later Miku came back with her arms full of bottles and cans which she disrupted between the four of them.

"Ok a cola for Yoshino-san, One coffee black for Kaguya-san, One coffee blended for Yuzuru-san, and one tea for me!" Miku handed the last girl their beverage and plopped herself down next to Yuzuru

The girls thanked her and took a moment to enjoy their drinks. After warning Kaguya to go easy with her coffee intake Yuzuru and her sister started talking amongst themselves; naturally this lead to yet another tale from the twin's long library of crazy contest stories being told to the group.

Today's feature was a cautionary tale about why drinking twenty cans of strong coffee in one sitting was a terrible idea for a competition.

"Turns out the black potion of vitality is much like Spirit drain cleaner" Kaguya gestured to her drink

"Clarify. At least when it's ingested at the rate of two cans a minute for five minutes straight" added Yuzuru recalling the bladder mangling effects the drinks had on the two spirits "Eyewitness reports claimed we leveled several trees and sent debris flying as we made great haste towards the nearest lavatory"

"Neither of us could sleep for three days after that" Kaguya admitted "We were both left shaking like a phone someone refused to pick up"

Yuzuru gave a slight shrug "Consolation. At least we got to see who was the superior sister when it came to functioning after 68 hours of no sleep. I was merely left feeling as though I wanted to die while Kaguya was busy screaming at the walls"

"Those wizards next door kept me awake by chanting blood oaths spoken in the stolen words of a thousand dying suns and I was getting annoyed" explained Kaguya in an attempt to defend her actions

"Silent. There was no one in the living unit next to us. You were verbally accosting empty air"

Yoshino, Yoshinon, and Miku listened to the rest of the tale with amusement. There were a few times Yoshino cracked a smile at the silly story but for the most part she silently sat and took large gulps of her beverage.

As soon as the twins stopped talking it didn't take long for Yoshino's sour mood to return, she was frowning and looking off into the distance when she handed her empty can to Yoshinon who tossed it cleanly into a nearby garbage can.

"**Two points for the rabbit!"** he lifted up his fabric arms and cheered while Miku struck up a conversation with a downtrodden Yoshino

"Do you want another Yoshino-san?"

"I'm ok..."

"Are you sure? You seem really thirsty"

"It's fine..."

"Anything else you need?"

"Um n-no?"

"You sure?"

Miku continued to question Yoshino about her welfare and was joined by Kaguya and Yuzuru who also seemed oddly attentive to her. They asked about everything from any pains she still had, if she ripped her clothes anywhere, if she was hungry, or even if she was warm enough.

"Want to use my jacket again or try on some of the heavier clothes I bought you?" Miku held up the shopping bag containing the adorable green coat she had picked out for her

"It's ok, I feel fine"

"Just tell me if you want snuggle up to me for warmth!" said Miku who pretended to hug an imaginary Yoshino in her arms

Kaguya threw the daydreaming Idol a few cautious glances before offering "If that's a little too creepy for you me and Kaguya can do the same without threatening your sacred virginity or suffocating you while giving you a view of the valley"

"Rebuff. Speak for yourself" Yuzuru teased while hugging and pushing up her own significant bust drawing a jealous scowl from her sister "Addition. Although Yoshino still does not need to worry, I may possess the territory required for oxygen deprivation but I assure her that will not happen"

"That was an accident!" replied Miku who felt insulted by the twins' suggestions that her cleavage was some sort of suffocation hazard!

The anger was short lived though as a unnerving smile crossed Miku's face as she appeared to think of something.

Seeing an opening for some flirting Miku leaned in on Yuzuru and offered "Perhaps Yuzuru-san or Kaguya-san would like to hug Miku-san next? I can prove just how gentle I can be with a pair of beautiful young girls if you say yes"

The irony of that statement about the pairs was not lost on Yuzuru as Miku's breasts pressed down and squished into her own causing the normally cool headed girl to blush at the sensation before recovering just enough to push her off.

"Shiver. Yuzuru-san will deny the offer; although if Kaguya-san's comments are to be believed she may enjoy her face in your bosoms" replied Yuzuru partially mocking Miku's manner of speech and hoping to delect Miku's advances onto another victim before she could notice just how red faced Yuzuru was

"What?!" asked Kaguya who was unaware she had just been thrown under the bus by her sister.

"Statement. You seemed to indicate a fondness for the idea before"

"Oh really?!" asked a drooling Miku

"**Careful! Miku's bust size is D: for death!"**

Kaguya managed to get Miku to heel by changing the subject back to Yoshino and if she wanted or needed anything which the other two girls quickly picked up on as well.

For the next few minutes they continued to attend to Yoshino who could finally tell what was going on and politely told the three "I'm ok everyone. You all don't have to treat me so nice just to make me feel better" once she realized what they had been up to.

Their initial attempts to lift Yoshino's spirits had the complete opposite effect of making her feel more depressed. This was because now she felt that everyone had to deal with her and her problems which made her into nothing more than a burden for them; the last thing she wanted to be.

Miku's cheerful smile faded "We're just worried about you Yoshino, you gave us all quite the scare before" she softly explained

"Indeed. We merely want to ensure you're ok" added Yuzuru giving the girl a concerned look

"I-I ca-can understand that you're worried but-but I st-st-still don't like it..."

"Can you blame us? That was quite the display of terror and fury before! You were like a hurricane of madness! Mercilessly lashing out at everything your great northern winds could reach!" argued Kaguya

Yoshino bowed her head deeply in shame "So you're worried that if I get upset again I'll start hurting people? You don't have a choice but to make me feel better then?"

The pushback forced Kaguya to rapidly shift her tone "...Ack! Do not take that to mean I suggest you did anything wrong! All the great and benevolent Yamai sisters want is to ensure the keeper of the polar winds is safe! This is love, not duty!"

Yuzuru sighed at her sister's' near disaster and decided to chip in "Statement. We understand that you've been dealing with some issues and we wish to render aid"

"That's right!" said Miku with her eyes sparkling hopefully "I told Kaguya-san and Yuzuru-san about all your problems and they want to help too! More of your friends want to help you Yoshino!"

"Promise. We understand that you don't want Shido or Rataoskr to find out about this development so we promise this operation shall be kept clandestine in accordance with your wishes" assued Yuzuru

Between the two of them Kaguya and Yuzuru had no idea how on earth Rataoskr or Kotori had missed Yoshino's drop in mood (although Kaguya was almost certain it was the work of wizards that came from the moon) but Miku somehow had managed to get them to honor her request for silence for the time being.

It actually seemed far too easy to get them to agree in Miku's mind; she didn't know why but a part of her suspected there were other forces at work behind the twins almost eagerness to keep things hidden. Whether it was their natural affinity for mischief or the two of them were just fantasizing over the idea of completing a top secret stealth mission; in the end it didn't matter. They agreed to keep this secret hidden from everyone else….within reason anyway.

"Please don't keep this from Kotori. I'd feel bad if you two got in trouble to just to help me" Yoshino said viewing herself as not worth the hassle and risk

With a staunch conviction both Kaguya and Yuzuru shot her pleas down.

"Refuse. Yoshino we are fully committed to helping you through this regardless of the possible repercussions"

"Ha! The nobel Yamai sisters do not leave behind their friends! Let the commander torture us with whatever black instruments she chooses! We will not waver here!"

While this was an impressive claim it in all honesty it was more for show than anything else.

Sure Kotori, Shido, and Rataoskr would not be happy if they ever found out the spirits were keeping secrets and lying to them (especially about things of this nature) but the odds of facing severe punishment was slim to none. The girls were all fairly well behaved and so far they never really faced anything more than a stern look and scolding from Shido or Kotori.

When she thought about it Yoshino figured it would actually be dangerous to try and discipline them further due to the risk of their powers coming out whenever they were frustrated.

"**Looks like they're involved in this now too, I told you your friends would help you if you asked!"**

"I know, and telling everyone was probably the right thing to do but…." Yoshino paused to take a deep breath and shamefully exclaimed "...I didn't want anyone else to know I'm such a crybaby!"

"Statement. Yoshino we could never look down upon you for having such feelings"

"It would bring us Yamais great shame to decry a friend like you!"

"...You don't think I'm selfish or stupid then?"

"..." All three girls stared at Yoshino

"What?!" they all screamed

"Shido went through all the trouble of sealing me, taking care of me, and even loving me and now I'm thinking about throwing that all away because of a few bad dreams and some scary mirages"

"**Basically she's worried she doesn't love Shido anymore. Yoshino has been thinking about him less and less since the hallucinations showed up"**

'_It's probably really hard to focus on love when you nightmares walk the same world as you'_ thought kaguya

"If I really loved Shido I'd never think the seal was a mistake! I'm a terrible person who doesn't deserve him!" Yoshino argued

"That's nonsense Yoshino-san! You told me earlier you still love darling as much as me! Just because you're scared doesn't mean you don't love him anymore!" shouted Miku who couldn't believe Yoshino could ever imagine such a thing to begin with!

Even if she was technically a rival in love Kaguya couldn't stand to hear the kind Yoshino question herself and rushed to her defense "You are just confused about your feelings after being tormented by that she-devil of illusion from earlier! Do not doubt the strength of your love! Any doubts are just fear clouding your mind like the dark mists of the millennium labyrinth!"

Such reassurances only fell on deaf ears; Yoshino refused to believe she wasn't at fault here.

"Then how can I think it'd be better if I never fell in love with him and just kept running from those mean AST girls for the rest of my life? Living like that scared me so much! How could anyone say living in fear is better than living with someone you love?"

"I think the problem isn't your lack of love Yoshino, its that you have too much love" critiqued Miku who had a different view on things

"T-Too much love?"

Miku clapped her hands together explained "Yes! You have so much love inside you for darling you think suffering through anything in world would be better than losing him! Even never falling in love with him to begin with would be better than having him taken away from you!"

Yuzuru tried her hardest to hide the subtle and knowing glance she gave her sister before saying "Statement. Loss of a loved one is a most unpleasant feeling. Those confronted with the prospect of it would seek any alternative solution to avoid it"

Upon hearing those words Kaguya noticed Yuzuru peeking at her and adopted a most colorful expression. She knew what her sister had meant by that and looked caught between both painful and happy memories.

'_Sister you have no idea….'_ she thought as an embarrassing moment at a bowling alley came to mind; a moment which she prayed no one ever found out about.

Unaware of the sister's interaction Miku continued to press her argument "Yoshino-san do you still want darling to kiss you lots and lots?" she asked drawing a blush from Yoshino

"Huh?! I-I-I m-mean….y-y-y-ess!"

"You wouldn't accept a kiss from a complete stranger correct?"

"N-n-no!"

"Then that means you still love darling! Kisses are shared between those who you love and trust! If you want darling to kiss you still that means he's still the only one who has your heart!"

"A simple logic for a simple woman I suppose" commented Kaguya

"Well kisses are important to love! I love darling and all the spirits and would be more than happy to kiss all of them!" Miku argued

"**-At the same time! While naked!"**

"Well now that does sound fun..." admitted Miku, her head awash with dirty fantasies

"_Big sis Miku! Please lift the curse on my heart with your noble lips!" pleaded a fake Kaguya who laid upon Miku's bed with her sister_

_The two of them wore half-removed blue and pink princess cosplay outfits and were red-faced with lust as they pined for Miku to lock lips with them._

"_Longing. Miku please grant us the mercy of your kiss so we truly feel your everlasting love and be one day free from the agony of virginity" begged a red and flustered Yuzuru who was acting just as unrealistically as her sister_

"Oh! Ohhhhh! Kaguya! Yuzuru! There's no need to beg! There's plenty of kisses to go around!" gushed Miku who responded to her flawed fantasy in the real world by mistake

"Dread. I feel unsafe my sister…"

"Indeed…" replied Kaguya who felt the need to bathe suddenly

"Would Yoshino-san like a kiss from Miku-san? I would like to prove I love and trust her very much!"

"Kheaaaa!" squeaked Yoshino flushing crimson at Miku's proposition

"**Do it!"**

"?!" Yoshino looked towards her hero in utter confusion

"**A kiss between girls isn't a big deal Yoshino! Do it!" **encouraged a oddly excited Yoshinon

"Y-Yoshinon! You too!?" the puppet's owner asked; becoming alarmed by his tone

"**Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!"**

"Listen to your hero and come here!" said Miku reaching out towards Yoshino with her lips puckered only to be stopped by Yuzuru putting her hand on her face and pushing her back down into the bench.

"Access Denied. Miku lacks the proper authorization for any and all kissing activities in regards to Yoshino's lips. Such permission must be granted through the proper decency and conduct departments"

"Oh poo! I just wanted fun!" groaned Miku deflated

"**Rest assured Miku, Yoshino cares for you deeply even if you are a walking obscenity"**

"Yoshino-san cares deeply for Miku-san? Truly!?" asked a touched Miku who chose to ignore the last part

"I care about everyone Miku. What scares me more than anything is the idea of losing any of you. I love you, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Renie, Shido, Tohka, Natsumi, Kotori, even Origami is precious to me"

This statement struck a chord with Yuzuru who asked "Question. Yoshino truly fears me and my sister coming to harm so deeply?"

The question appeared to light a fire under Yoshino who passionately explained her feelings towards them

"Of course! I was really scared when I saw just how bad Origami hurt you two! It was terrible to see Kaguya try to act strong when I was doing my best to patch her up! Having to bandage everyone when they were hurt and bloody was the worst feeling in the world!..."

'_Drat! She saw right through my bluff'_ thought Kaguya who remembered trying to act smooth while Yoshino and Natsumi were doing their best to nurse everyone back to health with no medical training and only a school first aid kit

"...Yuzuru I was worried about you too when you disappeared that morning Natsumi erased you! In my heart I knew something bad had happened even though Kotori said you had just been sent to a doctor for a few days! I wanted to see you, to make sure you were ok! Whether you were sick or kidnapped didn't matter to me since someone I cared about needed help!"

'_Warmth. You can detect the love in her words._' thought a flushed Yuzuru

"**Yoshino is still a little scared of someone coming to kidnap her in her sleep again because of that. She doesn't even feel safe in her own bed anymore"** added Yoshinon

"Yoshinon you don't have to tell them t-Huh? Whaaa?!" This statement set off the twins who, touched by Yoshino's concern for their safety, both wrapped her in a gentle embrace much to her surprise.

Kaguya struck from below grappling Yoshino in a tight hug around her waist as Yuzuru proceed to wrap her arms around Yoshino's shoulders and nuzzle her head; all the while the twins uttered their affections for her.

"Safety in numbers. If Yoshino requires it she is more than welcome to share beds with Kaguya or Yuzuru"

"It will be no issue at all if Yoshino wishes to slumber with me in my bedchamber!"

"Correct. Feel free to bunk with us if you feel frightened. Yoshino-san is precious to the Yamai sisters so we will do everything we can to comfort and aid you"

"**Yoshino-san? The two of you are acting like Miku!"** exclaimed Yoshinon

This comment was ignored by the twins who merely chose to continue caressing Yoshino whose cheeks were crimson from both the outpouring of love and the sensation of having Yuzuru's sizable bust squished into her side.

"Yuzuru is correct again! Yoshino is very important to us! She's an adorable member of our close family!"

"Idea. Kaguya and Yuzuru should really spend more time together with Yoshino. Perhaps an excursion to a local media center like the movie theater or arcade is in order?"

"We can always try eating at some of the restaurants located near the market after school."

"Question. Sister does spending more time with Yoshino-san sound pleasant?"

"It sounds like a great idea! Yoshino is so cute and cares about us so much!"said Kaguya as the sisters switched positions with Kaguya taking the top to nuzzle against Yoshino's hair while Yuzuru squeezed her waist.

"Memory. Perhaps we can service her hair like we did with Natsumi?"

"Ah ha! Yuzuru shall unleash her torrent of purification bubbles and my scissor blades shall fall upon any stray hairs that dare not bow to my comb!"

"Amused. I wonder if Yoshino-san shall giggle as much as Kaguya when I accidentally tickle her during the cleaning" asked Yuzuru with a smile

This continued on for some time with the two of them continuing to hold a blushing Yoshino in their grip while suggesting things they could do together.

Miku could only sit back and smile as she watched the twins fawn over Yoshino like she was a third sister.

'_Such love! It's beautiful! I'm going to have to write a song about this!'_

It was rare to see the twins drop their cool composure and act all lovey dovey like this in public but when they did it was incredibly heartwarming.

"Thanks. I'm lucky to have friends like you" spoke Yoshino

Yuzuru spoke affectionately with a soft smile "Reply. We're lucky to have someone who cares about us as much as you"

"You are our precious friend Yoshino, we care about you too" added Kaguya with a few pats to Yoshino's head

"A-All that stuff sounded r-really fun, right Yoshinon?"

"**Yup and god only knows you could the relief after all the pressure you've been under lately!"**

"But what if I can't enjoy it because of the bad thoughts?"

Imaginary black rainclouds seemed to pop up over Yoshino bringing a darker air to their conversation as she gently pushed the twins off her.

"**At this point you have to try Yoshino, those visions keep showing up because of all the stress you've built up in your head. If you can't make it go away those phantoms will keep trying to hurt you"**

"I know and I don't want to see them anymore but I'm just not sure if I can do it. How can I relax with my friends when we could be attacked at any time?"

"**If you spend all your time thinking about the next bad thing that could happen you'll miss all the good things that ****are**** happening"**

"Can't I just…?"

"**No, you need to get rid of some of this pain and fear before you finally lose it in a big way! We both know that your mind won't survive anything as bad as the Festival happening again! If all it takes is the sound of Miku and the twins screaming to trigger you imagine what will happen if a new spirit shows up!"**

"Um….Maybe I'll be ok?"

The puppet started speaking with clear sarcasm**"Oh really? Well the I guess I'll just have to believe you and…." **In a flash his tone changed to a frantic scream** "...Was that the spacequake alarm I heard just now?!"**

Yuzuru began to speak "Silent. I hear no space quak al-"

"AAAAAhhhhhhhh!"Even if the puppet's bluff was obvious it still sent a screaming Yoshino scrambling for shelter as she dove headfirst onto the ground with a painful thud before scampering underneath the park bench.

Miku and the Yamais were startled when they saw her disappear beneath them and were quick to check on her. Peering beneath the wooden seat they could see their little friend cowering in the darkness, whimpering pleas to be left alone with hand on top of her head for protection.

"...No…...I don't want this…...Please just don't hurt me….."

'_Despair. Yet another heartbreaking scene'_ thought a grimm Yuzuru

Likewise Miku and Kaguya thought it was painful to see Yoshino like this after such a crude deception. The fact that it took so little to make her react like this spoke volumes about what would actually happen should Yoshino be confronted by another enemy.

'_She won't survive contact with another foe. Me and my sister can't allow anyone to threaten her until her heart has been mended'_ vowed Kaguya who gazed upon Yoshino's trembling form with a clenched fist.

It didn't matter if it was DEM or an inverse Nightmare; if it tried to hurt Yoshino it died.

Miku's thoughts were a little less violent in nature but still carried with them an intense feeling of conviction _'I'll help you fix yourself Yoshino no matter what I have to do….' _she promised herself

As nice as that sentiment was she first had to get Yoshino out from underneath the bench before the terrified girl worked herself into another stress induced hallucination.

"Calm down Yoshino-san. It's ok. There's no alarm" she explained softly, as though she was a mother comforting a child frightened by thunder.

Miku's voice always had a strange power to it ,angel or not, and this resonated with Yoshino who seemed to calm down enough to actually notice there was no warning siren blaring in the background

"Huh….she's right?….Oh Yoshinon! You tricked me!"

"**I had to prove my point somehow"** excused the puppet personality almost casually

Being created by Yoshino to push her into being the brave and confident person she wanted to be Yoshinon knew how to show her the tough love that was needed to force her into doing the right thing. Tricking her may have seemed cruel to outsiders but in the end it was all for the sake of Yoshino's well being which was all Yoshinon cared about, even if Yoshino didn't appreciate their methods.

"I got tricked ….all it took was Yoshinon…..lying to me….I'm pathetic…."

In the darkness below Yoshino's eyes began to fill with tears as she realized just how much of a coward she had become "This is what I am now….A baby…..A baby just crying because she's scared!….I'll just stay under here and cry! It's all I'm good for!"

"Don't talk about yourself in such a manner!" cided Miku who couldn't approve of Yoshino making such remarks about herself

"It's true! I'm worthless! I've become weak crybaby who can't do anything to help Shido!" Yoshino's tone went from bad to worse "Help?... I'll probably just get in his way again!" she said with contempt

Something was giving Miku a bad feeling again, it was the same feeling she got right before that rampage in the spa yesterday "Yoshino-san what are you talking about? You can't say such untrue things! You've alway been a big help to darling!"

"No I haven't! I saw the video! I know I've been a burden to him before and I will be again!"

"A Video?" asked Miku

"Question. A recording? Of what?" Yuzuru mirrored

Caught up in her own self loathing and regrets Yoshino failed to realize she had just let something slip, something she evidently didn't want to talk about if her reaction was any clue.

"Eh! I….Just pretend I didn't say anything ok?" she asked in a poor attempt to back pedal once she realized what had been said

It was too late for that though as Yuzuru asked "Confusion. Just what were you referring to?"

"Nothing! I was referring to nothing!"

' _A Secret. She's become defensive, that statement had value to it' _Yuzuru realized

Before Yoshino could retreat any further Yoshinon stepped in and began to explain what she had meant about a video.

"**She's referring to...how to say this?...Hmmm…. She's talking about a "Catalyst" of sorts"**

"Like the philosopher's stone or the horn of a unicorn?" asked Kaguya who was actually a little surprised by Yoshinon's choice of such a big word

"**Kinda. It was a video that we really, really, ****really ****should not have watched. It's what…" **Yoshinon looked towards Yoshino who gazed at him with pleading eyes before turning back **"It's what started this whole mess to begin with"**

"A video started Yoshino's descent into madness?" Kaguya asked while wondering just how how a simple video could lead to Yoshino being reduced to a paranoid and hallucinating mess "What in the seven hells kind of video was it?! Did you rent that cursed one with the ring and the girl from the well?!"

Both of Yoshinon's ears dropped low **"It was something much worse…."**

This sudden change in the puppet's mood unnerved Miku but she pressed the issue regardless, something more had happened to Yoshino than what she had let on and whatever this video was had something to do with it. As the one tasked with helping her Miku needed to know what it was Yoshino had seen that could kickstart all her fears and nightmares.

"What did Yoshino and you see in this video Yoshinon? Where did you see it? Did someone show you it?" asked Miku rattling off a few of the dozens of questions that now buzzed in her brain

"Don't tell her!" Yoshino begged in a desperate whisper "Yoshinon please don't tell her! Miku can never find out!"

A horrible chill reached all the way to Miku's bones, Yoshino had just signaled her out when Kaguya and Yuzuru were standing there as well

This was not a good sign….

With his ears still held low and ignoring Yoshino's pleas for silence Yoshinon turned to Miku and said something that nearly made her heart stop cold

"**Miku the video….it involved you…."**

* * *

**Author Note: The next chapter is going to hopefully be much shorter but it still may take a while. Please review if you like the story, it makes working on it so much more worth it.**


	11. Echos of the Truth

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 11: Echos of the Truth**

* * *

Aboard the Fraxinus Morning after the Battle of DEM HQ

Yoshino sat with Reine inside the medical bay as the older, and very clearly exhausted woman, finished up with a battery of tests to determine both the mental and physical health of the Hermit spirit after the night she had just went through.

To say a lot had happened in the last twenty hours would be a understatement, there had been battles, kidnappings, and a city wide wave of mind control.

What had started out with just a trip to a festival to watch her friends have fun had ended with Yoshino waking up on the back on Yoshinon with her powers active a good twelve hours after she had blacked out in her seat.

'_Something happened…'_

In the pit of her stomach Yoshino felt sick. She had no idea why but her fuzzy memories and the maid outfit she wore made her skin crawl. It was as if her body was telling her something that her mind just couldn't figure out.

When Reine asked her how much she had been told about what had happened Yoshino explained that Kotori and Shido only briefly told them she and the twins had been brainwashed by the newest spirit. Reine asked her how she felt about that but with her memories still faded she couldn't really say all that much.

"A little upset I guess….I was told she used me like a maid but I don't really know much else….that seems kind of rude I suppose….maybe a little mean..."

"**We should bill her for what she did! How dare that cow-like girl make Yoshino work for free! Yoshino and Yoshinon's free time is very valuable you know!" **uttered the puppet with indignant rage.

Reine promised the next time the two girls met the Diva would apologize for her actions before asking if Yoshino remembered anything else "N-Not really…."

"I suppose that's for the best then"

"W-w-what?"

"Nothing" The doctor skillfully deflected and continued with her own interrogation of Yoshino about the night before.

'_I feel….guilty'_ Yoshino felt like she had done something wrong the whole time Reine asked her questions.

It was like those police interrogation scenes that popped up in her drama's whenever someone was murdered in the night.

When everything was all said and done Yoshino still felt a terrible sense of unease but at the very least Reine gave her a few pills to settle her stomach. The doctor had always acted as a surrogate mother to her for as long as she could remember but even with the medicine in her and Reine's soothing words something just felt wrong still.

After a few more minutes the tired woman received a message that Yoshino's clothes had been found been found back at the stadium and excused herself to go have them brought back to the ship.

No sooner had the doctor left then Yoshinon had rather colorfully started complaining about what that idol spirit had done to them, calling her all sorts of names and even saying Yoshino should give her a piece of her mind when they next met.

"Reine said she would apologize to us later. I'm sure everything will be fine Yoshinon, we just need to forgive her when the times comes"

"**Errr...I still don't like it" **Yoshinon grumbled **"All we wanted to do was go to a festival, watch a show, play some games, and eat yummy foods. We didn't go to end up as some big boobied girl's plaything!" **he lifted his felt arms in frustration **"Besides that what on earth was up with Tohka when we woke up?! Did Shido forget to pack her a lunch or something?! Just what the heck happened while we were off playing housekeeper with that Diva girl?!"**

Yoshino looked to the ground "I...I don't know. Last night was really scary. I thought I was going to…to…"

"**Die?"**

"Yes, me or someone else..." Yoshino nodded her head "But Tohka wouldn't really kill any of us…right?" she asked uncertainly "It was like she was transformed into a... monster"

"**A monster who evidently has a thing for skimpy outfits"**

"She was really trying to kill everyone wasn't she?" Yoshino realized grimly "She would have killed me, Shido, Kaguya, Yuzuru, everyone. That Tohka wanted us to-to die! Why?"

'_My friend was trying to kill me, that's not what friends do...'_

"**You said she transformed somehow right?" **Yoshinon questioned **"Maybe while transformed like that she had no control? In anime sometimes people's personalities change when they transform so maybe that dark form makes a spirit go completely nuts?"**

Yoshino sighed. Even if that was that truth knowing about it didn't make her feel any better. Tohka was like a playful big sister to her and tonight she had been forced to fight against her in order to save Shido and the new spirit he was with. What could make someone try and destroy all they cared about like that?

"W-what happened to her?" '_could that happen to me too?' _"Just what happened last night?"

"**I know how we can find out!" **Yoshinon sang as he forced Yoshino over to the computer Reine had left behind

"Yoshinon I don't know about this…" On the screen Yoshino could see almost the entirety of the ship's files available to her; considering Reine was Kotori's best friend and the one mostly in charge of taking care of the spirits it made sense she would have access to everything on-board.

"**Shido and Kotori hesitated to explain what happened, Kaguya and Yuzuru didn't know, and Reine seemed like she was hiding something from you. We have a chance to find out the truth so let's take it!"**

"Well...I want to know what happened...it's fair r-r-right? To want to know what was going on while I was...um, a-asleep?"

"**Yes! Let's find out what that Diva with the giant boulders did to you and what was going on with Tohka! (And maybe find some naked pictures of Shido on here somewhere at the same time)"**

Without protest Yoshinon moved it's arms and began to guide Yoshino through the files with surprising proficiency for a puppet with no computer experience.

"**Let's see…Ship Security (Offline)…Ship Surveillance(Offline)…Ship Network(Problems detected)…Budget…" **"That's a lot of money to feed Tohka..." "**Date Locations...Psych Profiles of the Spirits(Weird, we don't have a split personality disorder)…Spirit Medical Data…Spirit Surveillance?"**

"So many cameras for each of us…"

"**So ****that's**** where Yuzuru keeps her porn! We might want to tell her to move it"**

Yoshino didn't know what porn was exactly but she could tell this isn't something she should be looking at "L-Let's go to something el-else…there's nothing here from last night any-anyway…"

"**Hmmm…junk, junk, junk, more busted stuff. Wait! Shido Blackmail!? What's in here!?" **The puppet slammed down on the keyboard before Yoshino could complain, inside was something that neither ever expected; pictures of Shido in some type of cosplay and a notebook filled with all types of fantasy drawings and writings.

"So Shido acted like Kaguya for a while? I don't get it…"

"**Man this looks cool! Check out that sword he's carrying and that sweet drawing of the the black wolf of fire that resides in his cursed arm! Why would Shido try and hide this stuff?"**

"I-I don't know…"

"**Hold on a sec…and, **_**click!**_** There we go, I sent a copy to our E-mail! We have to show this to Kaguya and the others some time"**

"Yosh-Yoshinon! I don't t-think…"

"**Relax! Kotori and Shido had all those secret files on you guys so we just went and made things fair! Anyway we still need to find out what happened last night!"**

"Maybe we could just ask Kotori when she wakes up with everyone else later? I'm sure if we explain to her that we're a little worried and want to know she'd tell us everything. After she hears I'm upset maybe we can talk to this Diva girl and..."

"**Too late now! I just found it! It's here, under recent recordings, it's Shido's communicator footage from the time we blacked out!"**

As she looked at the screen in front of her Yoshino could sense that there was something about it that made her feel squeamish. There wasn't anything to physically indicate the little pixelated camera icon was something special, it just _felt _like something that she wasn't meant to open.

"Everyone is ok and Shido didn't seem like he was that scared...it can't be that bad…right?"

"**Let's find out!"**

Those were the words of playful exploration, of innocent curiosity. Sadly for Yoshino there was nothing innocent or playful about the video, the truth was about to pile-drive her young heart into cold and uncaring reality "Ok...P-P-Play!" Yoshino clicked the mouse while having no idea what was to come...

* * *

Ignorance is bliss…

Even with what little she knew of the wider world Yoshino had heard that saying many times before and now, oh boy, she knew exactly what it meant.

What had simply been a daring, yet, harmless (in her view) breaking of a few rules in search of answers had just turned into a nightmare which Yoshino regretted ever starting

'_Why did I look?! I should have just been a good girl and left Reine's computer alone!'_

On that computer had been a full recording of what Shido saw through his communicator before, during, and after the point where her own memories had stopped.

It had only ended when Shido was thrown clear of the building and dropped his com unit in the fall.

Yoshino had found her truth, didn't like it, and now wished more than anything else she could just forget it.

She had seen everything from the angel being summoned, to the attack being launched, and finally what it had done to her…

'_What kind of angel is that?! Who could use that power?! How could she do that to us?! What type of monster is that girl?!'_

Yoshino felt lied to (Well she had been). When the commander and Shido had explained things before Yoshino was given the idea that all the new spirit had done was hypnotize her, the twins, and a lot of other people into obeying her commands. Kotori had made it seem like the Diva was just playing with her the whole time and at some point things had slightly gotten out of hand with DEM attacking to take away Tohka for a little bit. According to her the situation was under control the whole time and no one was in any danger as they worked to both save Tohka and get the Diva to quit using her and the twins like cute dolls. The threat had been downplayed to the point Kotori made it seem like Tohka had only been gone for a few minutes and the story sugarcoated more than a frosted doughnut!

Ironically their decision to downplay the issue was vindicated based on how well Yoshino was taking things_ 'Shido and Kotori told me that she used me and the twins as a maids! That she just wanted to have fun with us as playthings! They never mentioned all this! She wasn't just playing!'_

Up till she saw the video Yoshino had believed all she and the twins had done was act like maids to the Diva who brainwashed her after she had gotten a little mad at Shido and wanted revenge by taking away his friends to play with for a few hours. In her head she imagined herself, the Diva, Kaguya, and Yuzuru sitting down to have tea or play with dolls like kids; nothing but cute harmless stuff while she was just a little confused by the spell. It was all supposed to be a big misunderstanding brought on by the new spirit getting a little too upset over her loss.

No one mentioned that Tohka had been taken hours before!

No one told Yoshino that she and the twins had been used like Diva's mindless minions in battle against her!

No one had told her how close that horrid girl had come to forcing Yoshino to murder someone she loved!

Her anger at the Diva was pushed aside; removed but not forgotten; to be replaced by abstract horror at her own actions performed while under the spell _'That look I gave Shido! How could I?! It looked like I wanted him to die!' _

The rational part of Yoshino's brain that was struggling to still function under the weight of Yoshino's trauma told her she didn't have a choice and that she was innocent but by this point it was too late, that glare she had given Shido when she had rushed the stage on Yoshinon had burned itself into her mind and wouldn't be going away anytime soon _'I tried to kill Shido! I fought Tohka! I __**abandoned **__Tohka! I betrayed everyone!'_

Brainwashing or no brainwashing what she had done seemed inexcusable; Shido kissed her, took care of her, even loved her! How could anything make her act that way!? Did she do something wrong? Was her love not strong enough? Somehow this had to be her fault, she just knew it!

"_Tohka! For you to attack Shido like this!..." _Yoshino mentally cursed her own unintentional hypocrisy for scolding Dark Tohka about trying to hurt Shido when she herself had only stopped trying minutes before!

'_Me, Kaguya, and Yuzuru tried to kill Shido and Tohka stopped us, then Tohka tried to kill Shido and we had to stop her! Everyone was fighting their friends! That's not what friends are supposed to do! It's all so wrong! How could this happen?!'_

A hand was forced to Yoshino's mouth as she was overcome by nausea as the full weight of the implications from the video began to settle in the pit of her stomach. Even with Reine's medicine in her Yoshino was barely keeping herself from having an embarrassing scene all over the passageway of the ship.

"**Um...Maybe we should head back and ask for some of that pink goo stuff Tohka used when she ate that moldy bread because there was nothing left in the house?"**

Not an option said Yoshino's brain, she had only just gotten out of the examination room without Reine figuring out what had happened during her absence! After watching the last few seconds of the video where Shido was thrown clear of the building by Tohka Yoshino had heard Reine coming down the hallway and scrambled to shut down the video. In the frantic button mashing Yoshino had opened dozens of other files and applications including her own unstable mental state graph that had a warning siren accompanied by red flashing lights. The noise and lights further spooked Yoshino who just kept hitting things until everything went away, when she was looking at a harmless desktop once more she slid into her seat and tried to pretend everything was A-ok. This was easier than expected as Reine was borderline sleepwalking when she returned, the night of no sleep on top of her usual lack of rest was finally catching up to her. With Reine slumped over her coffee maker, downing whole cups at once, Yoshino politely excused herself and left while the doctor's back was still turned.

Not even Yoshino was sure why she was so scared of Reine finding out what she had done; truthfully she wanted nothing more right now than to huddle up with the caregiver and cry her eyes out over what she had just seen but she just couldn't do it for some reason. It may have been the fact that she didn't want to cause a scene and make more work for her after she had already spent the last few hours examining the spirits or it may have been the fact that she didn't want to get punished for breaking the rules but either way she refused to return and talk about it.

Whether it was fear of punishment or being a burden it didn't matter as the traumatized spirit finally entered her room in the quarantine zone and dropped the bundle of clothes to the ground. She went to her dresser and picked out a simple pair of pajamas and changed into them, removing the maid outfit with unnecessary roughness. Yoshino did a complete change; removing and discarding everything from her clothes, her undies, and even any small odds and ends she was had been wearing that day. Everything she took off felt "tainted", all of it had to go. It was such a strong feeling of disgust that for one terrible second Yoshino even gave Yoshinon an uncertain look as she considered tossing him away.

"**Hey what's up? What's with that sick look?"**

Yoshino turned away from Yoshinon and looked through her little stash of living supplies "Nothing…"

Even if she didn't realize it Yoshino was acting like a hazmat worker disposing of contaminated clothing, lacking the means to actually dispose of anything she decided to toss it all in a plastic garbage bag and shove it as far back into her least used dresser drawer as possible. When you couldn't burn something the next best option was simply to bury it and hope you never ever see it again _'That's right...make it go away...just go to sleep and forget all about it...make all of it go away...make it clean' _she kept chanting to herself.

With reality being so painful Yoshino grabbed a bottle of water along with some unused sleeping pills Renie had given her the first few nights aboard the ship to help her rest and attempted to find peace in sleep.

**Gulp!**

Within moments it was like someone was actively trying to drag her head down onto the pillow and her eyelids could only barely stay open long enough to huddle under the covers. Even with the chemical assistance it took some time before Yoshino's strained mind managed to wind down enough to rest _'It was all just a bad dream...when I wake up it'll be like it never happened...Shido will make us food and everyone will eat and be friends just like we always have...No one betrayed anyone...It never happened...Me, Kaguya, and Yuzuru didn't do that stuff...Tohka was fine...I __didn't betray anyone….I'd never hurt my friends...I'd never...hurt...them...never...hurt...them...''_

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…...

"_**Hermit is weak! Hermit broke! Time for the monster inside her head to hunt! Take a breath and say goodbye! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH!"**_


	12. The Monster Inside Her Head Pt 1

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 12: The Monster Inside Her Head Part 1**

* * *

"..."

"_**Wake up…**_

"_..."_

"_**Wake uppppp….."**_

"_..."_

"_**Wake up little Hermit…"**_

"_Hermit…?Me...?"_

"_**Can you hear it hermit? The sound, that wonderful sound?"**_

"_Who are you?"_

"_**It'll never stop now...we won't let it!"**_

"_You sound like...Yoshinon?"_

"_**Her song rang in your ears and woke us up!"**_

"_Is that you Yoshinon?"_

"_**It sounded like bells….Or maybe a organ?"**_

"_Where are you Yoshinon? Why are you talking like this? I can't see anything!"_

"_**Organs! The organs being torn to shreds inside our teeth! Bones too; if we are lucky!"**_

"_I-I don't under-understand..."_

"_**The blood also! So much blood! Your friends will bleed much; of that I am certain!"**_

"_My friends…? Is someone coming to hurt them?!"_

"_**Lock the doors! Lock them tight! Bolt them down! Board them up!"**_

"_I don't understand what you're saying Yoshinon!"_

"_**What you're keeping out is on the wrong side of the door!"**_

"_Yoshinon where are you?! I don't understand you but I don't want to be alone!"_

"_**Oh you won't be alone! TeeHee! I'm not going anywhere!"**_

"_Where are you Yoshinon?!"_

"_**Time to start running! Hermit shall either be prey or predator! Maybe a bit of both?! Yes...the others will consume her if she lets them..."**_

"_Wait...you're not Yoshinon are you?_

"_**KeKeKe! Hermit isn't a big dumb dummy after all! If Hermit can figure out this much maybe she can figure out what Hermit needs to do!"**_

"_What I need to do? What's that?"_

"_**LET. US. OUT."**_

* * *

As Yoshino began to stir she continued to ponder over what had just occurred. The voice that had spoken to her in the dream or whatever it was had sounded like Yoshinon but while the signature squeak was the same the tone had been all wrong! The way it talked was with a manic cheerfulness; constantly blabbering on to itself as if it was caught between sounding angry, happy, and crazy. Her hero could be excitable but while he always pushing her to be more assertive and less frightened that other voice was telling her to kill!

'_Who was that? Yoshinon would never say such things but...Huh…? Where am I?'_

With feeling coming back into her body Yoshino found herself waking up not laying in her warm comfy bed but rather standing in someplace that was most definitely not the quarantine zone. With a soft yawn she took control of her semi-numb body and rubbed her eyes only to be confronted with a grotesque sight once she opened them again.

"Hu?-Huaahhh!?"

A hoarse scream escaped her lips for in front of her was a colossal icicle jutting from the ground upon which a young girl with long blue hair was fully impaled, her maid outfit and clover hairpiece were both spattered with blood from the sheer force of the ice bursting through her chest.

As if the sight of a dead girl wasn't bad enough Yoshino knew who it was and that this wasn't a girl…

"Shido?!"

Yoshino had her eyes locked on Shidori's frozen face mounted above her as a trail of blood dribbled out of her mouth and pooled below the spirit's feet on the stage.

"But Tohka! The ship!" glancing around the stage and surrounding stands Yoshino could see the packed seats filled with a silent brainwashed crowd as well as a quietly weeping Tohka up on the stage with her but no twins or Diva "No, no, no, no! I can't be back here! This can't be Shido! He was ok! This can't be real!"

A soul crushing terror had gripped Yoshino. Had everything just been a dream?! A trick of the mind to placate Yoshino while the Diva's magic caused her body to rob Shido of his life?!

'_This-This can't be happening!'_

The horror of what she was witnessing drove Yoshino desperately looking for anyway to lessen the impact of her apparent murder of the boy she loved "Shido! You can't be dead! I-I know! I'll go get help! Yes! Y-You'll be ok Shido! I'll run and get Reine or Kotori and we'll get you to a h-h-hospital! I'll b-b-bring you there myself and e-everything will be f-fine! Trust m-me!" Yoshino reasoned.

It was obvious the person on her icicle was clearly dead but the slight glimmer of false hope she gave herself was the only thing keeping Yoshino from going insane with guilt.

"Liar..." A cruel hiss joined the sound of a heavy metal blade being dragged across the stage

"Toh-Tohka?"

"How dare you say such things after what you did. To lie after doing this to Shido, do you have no shame?" Tohka spoke with a quiet rage, her face seemed dull and lifeless as she shambled over with the angel Sandalphon dragging behind her. It was like she couldn't care enough to even lift the blade as it tore into the wood

"He begged...He pleaded with you and those other_ traitors_ to stop..."

"I wanted to stop!"

"We all came out here to be happy...to eat yummy foods...to have fun in cute outfits...to help Shido win...how could you?"

"Tohka I-I didn't…"

"But you didn't stop did you?"

"We couldn't! The Diva…"

"Why didn't you three stop?! You did everything that terrible girl asked and-" an enraged Tohka attempted to cleave Yoshino in half with a overhand slice "-MURDERED HIM IN COLD BLOOD!"

Yoshino was forced to dodge as the blade sailed by her head and sunk into stage below with a deafening crash; a testament to the sword's weight. In the moment between looking at Tohka and sidestepping the sword there was a gust of wind mixed with a flash of dark purple energy. By the time Yoshino looked back she found herself face to face with a familiar and terrible sight

"You killed him! I saw you rush forward and slay him without any hesitation! Did his kiss mean anything to you?!" challenged the inverse form of Tohka with her black blade angled at Yoshino's face

Rather than the cool bitterness and dark regality that was on her face during their first encounter (or maybe this WAS their first encounter; she honestly didn't know right now) this version of Dark Tohka had a look of utter madness that reminded Yoshino far too much of those Yandere characters she saw in her anime "Kaguya...Yuzuru...Yoshino...All traitors...All shall die!"

"I-I didn't want to hu-hurt him! Please be-be-believe me! It was that an-angel! I couldn't stop myself!"

"Liar! Don't you **dare** say you didn't mean to hurt him! If you and those other defectors truly cared about him she would never be able to sway you like that! You're at fault! You're to blame!"

"Tohka p-p-please! We can still f-fix this! We can get Shido somewhere where they-they can fix h-him and-"

"No excuses and no mercy! I have no time for the words of betrayers! Shido is dead and soon you shall head into the bowels of hell by my blade!" Yoshino could feel the wind kicked up by the sword as it sailed in front of her face on the final word.

"I'm not a betrayer! Tohka please snap out of it!"

"That's what he said to YOU THREE!"

"You have to stop please!"

Dark Tohka didn't let up and continued to attack; getting closer with each swing "Stop moving and let me take your head!"

There was no time to figure things out anymore, Tohka was completely out of it and determined to kill Yoshino for her betrayal and if she stayed here any longer there was a good chance she'd succeed!

With an unsteady hop Yoshino lept over Tohka's sword after she had gotten it stuck into the stage and fled behind the curtains, crying as she left "I'm sorry Tohka, Shido! I don't want to leave either of you like this but I can't fix this on my own! I'll get someone help and everything will be fine I swear it!"

"GET BACK HERE! YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THIS!"

"Waaah! It has to be fine! Everyone has to be fine!" Yoshino cried while dashing through the darkness blindly, never even checking if Tohka was actually giving chase

"_**Let the fear chase you! Surround you! Corner you! Don't stop! Stopping would be bad! HaHaHa!'"**_

Yoshino attempted to pay the voice no mind despite not knowing where it was coming from; her mind was preoccupied elsewhere

'_I'm sorry Tohka! I didn't want to leave you alone like that but I need to go get help! Shido has to live! I won't let it end like this! I don't want to be a murderer! I don't want to be __**Shido's **__murderer!'_

Tears streaked Yoshino's cheeks and dripped to the floor below her; she was confused, scared, and just wanted this all to stop! How could a nice trip to the festival to cheer on her friends come to this?!

'_Her…That new spirit! She's the one who made me hurt him! I'll never forgive her!'_

Yes! The Diva! She was the one who forced Yoshino to attack Shido, she was the one to blame for all of this!

'_All because she didn't want to lose! How could anyone use friends as a weapon?! I don't care if Shido tells me to stop and says that we should all be friends when I find her I'll...I'll...I'll do something really bad to her!'_

"_**Yes…! Good…! Rage! Hate! Anger! More hate! We need blood and hate!"**_

It was this anger that distracted Yoshino from the trap she was walking into laid out by a pair of agile predators.

"Hostile detected. Kill"

"Here comes our prey!"

From out of the shadows a gust of wind side checked Yoshino's tiny body into a wall with the force of being hit by a car. She didn't even have time to scream as she bounced off and fell to the floor in pain; if a spirit's body wasn't more durable than a human's a blow like that would likely have broken a more than a few bones but durability did little to dull the pain

"Owwwwwwwwwwww"

"Status. Target Alive"

"Shame that didn't kill her..."

When the darkness mysteriously parted Yoshino could see that she now stood in a nondescript gray room with the twins glaring at her; the locks on their maid cafe uniforms and the roaring winds around them showed that both were primed and ready for a fight fight.

But the hostility made no sense to Yoshino "Kaguya? Yuzuru? Why did you attack me like that?" she asked while getting to her feet

"How dare you upstage the Yami's in proving their obedience to big sister! Shido was our Mark, not yours!" Kaguya shouted

'_Upstage? They're upset that they didn't get to hurt Shido and I did? So now they're trying to kill me? They want her love that much?!' _Yoshino recoiled as she came to realize both girls were still under the angel Gabriel's spell compelling them to treat the Diva with absolute devotion.

"Kill? He-He's not dead yet!" Yoshino denied confusing the twins

"Odd. I swore being impaled like that was fatal my sister..." pondered Yuzuru

"Big sister was certain Yoshino had eliminated him when she rushed forward to sever his lifeforce with her ice as she did. Our beloved even gave Yoshino orders to dispose of the body before his foul stench contaminated this place"

"He-He's not dead! I-I would n-never kill Shido! He has to be alive still!"

"_**You keep telling yourself that..."**_

Yoshino refused to believe Shido was dead and despised the way the twins described what she had done while the Diva's solo messed with her head "I'm going to go get help! He's going to be ok!"

"Help him? Why help the one that made big sister sad?"

"Agree. If he is still alive we must follow her orders to vanquish him and remove his taint from the world!"

While Yoshino recoiled at the prospect Kaguya actually seemed excited! "Sister! We no longer need to eliminate our competition for Big sister's love! Yoshino failed her task so now we can eliminate the one onesan despises so much!"

Each word from the brainwashed duo drove Yoshino mad with bitter rage, they were his friends too but because of that that..._demon_ both continued to decry his suffering "Shut up! Don't talk about Shido like that! He's the one you two are supposed to love! Not that terrible girl! She's the bad guy!"

"Deny. You could say such things about our most beloved one?! She is a paragon of virtue and beauty! She has a pure and innocent-" Yuzuru autonomously began to praise the Diva drawing rage from her freed companion.

"The only reason you like her is because of that angel she has and what's it's done to your heads!"

Yoshino wouldn't take it; brainwashed or not she wasn't about to let the twins keep acting like that miserable idol was a nice person! "The Diva is a evil! She's nothing more than a monster in a nice dress who makes people fight their friends! She makes me want to puke! She should just die!"

In retrospect insulting the one who the twins now worshiped wasn't the smartest idea…

"What was that you worm!?"

"Rage. Yoshino uses words other than those of praise to describe Aneue-samma?!"

Both twins were now glaring at her and the small tornados wrapped around them increased in power.

Yoshino could see they were primed to attack but didn't care. She needed to let all the anger bubbling up inside of her out!

"That angel of hers lets her control people and forces them to be nice to her and say good things about her! She doesn't deserve anything you say! I'd rather die than let her control me again! When I find her I'm going to make her pay for all of this!"

For the second time since she woke up Yoshino found herself being attacked by a friend. Unlike Tohka who missed with her first blow Yuzuru's chain found it's mark and cracked against Yoshino's chest hurling the small spirit against the wall, forcing a pained hiss from her lips before both twins were upon her. What followed was much less a fight and more of a beating with both Kaguya and Yuzuru tossing Yoshino around with their winds interspaced with random weapon blows . It seemed unfathomable that the two could show anyone such cruelty to anyone let alone a child but any sense of morality was being blocked by the hard coded desire to serve the Diva that now controlled them.

'_Was I like this to Shido? Oh how is he ever going to forgive me after all this?!' _thought Yoshino who somehow, despite being brutally beaten by the twins, managed to worry about how she was going to make things up to Shido after he "recovered".

Yoshino could have easily summoned a ice wall to block the sister's attacks or blasted them back with torrents of cold air but she did nothing of the sort; only defending herself by using her hands to protect her head from any further blows.

'_Not again! I won't hurt another friend because of that terrible girl and her angel!' _Yoshino was determined to not lay so much as a finger on the two even as they continued to toss her around and land painful blows across her body.

Yuzuru used her chain to viciously whip Yoshino's limbs _'I can take this! If I hurt them then the Diva wins!'_

Kaguya came crashing down on the small of Yoshino's back, driving her heel down as hard as she could _'It just hurts a little! They'll say they're sorry when they wake up!'_

Yoshino swore she could hear something break as she got to her feet but never had time to dwell on it as both sisters flew in from the side to kick her in the stomach dropping her back down to her knees _'Just-khe!-have to hold on! They'll wake up before they hurt me too bad just like I did with Shido!'_

"Ahhhh!" another flying kick to the face sent Yoshino to floor again followed by another _'Kaguya! Yuzuru! Please come back!' _

A viscous slice of Yuzuru's chain cracked against Yoshino's back opening up a deep gash and drawing blood. With a thud she fell to the ground, weak and beaten, but the attacks did not let up. While the twins continued to rain blows down upon her Yoshino retreated into her mind so as to try and block out the pain. There she found the voice from earlier waiting for her; encouraging her to fight back.

'_Ow...it hurts...'_

"_**Those two looked filled with blood! We would like to see that blood; yes we would like to see it very very much!"**_

'_I can't! They're my friends!'_

"_**Hermit's friends are trying to kill Hermit; is this what friends normally do?"**_

'_They're just confused! They'll stop!'_

"_**OhHoHo! Hermit thinks that friends can't kill each other? That friendship or love can overcome all like one of those cartoon shows for kiddies?!"**_

'_In the end everyone always saves each other even if they lose control! Kaguya and Yuzuru will stop just like I did-'_

"_**Hermit did not stop! Hermit killed! Hermit's love means nothing!"**_

'_That's not true!'_

"_**Those "Friends" of yours are going to kill you here! Their friendship is worthless! All friendship is worthless!"**_

'_S-Stop it!'_

"_**Hehe! Me or them?"**_

'_Both!'_

"_**Make them stop Hermit! Show them that you can cast off the shackles of friendship and love! LET. US. OUT."**_

'_Ow ow ow! This hurts so much! I don't want to die!'_

"_**You don't have to! Hermit can live if she just fights back! LET. US. OUT."**_

'_But I don't want to hurt them!'_

"_**They want to hurt you though! Friends cause hurt...friends cause pain...friends cause DEATH!"**_

'_I'm not sure how long I can take this!'_

Kaguya and Yuzuru weren't stopping as Yoshino and the voice spoke; in fact it looked like they were about to finish her off!

"Sister end her!"

"Confirm. Elimination of threat to big sister in progress!"

Yoshino found her voice and breath cut off as Kaguya restrained her allowing Yuzuru to wrap her chain around Yoshino's neck to try and crush her windpipe

'_They're actually going to kill me!' _Yoshino quickly realized as the angel tightened around her throat like a garrote _'No! This isn't right! They're supposed to stop! Whenever someone gets hypnotized in anime they always break free once they remember their friends! They're supposed to break free and turn back to being good!'_

"_**You need to watch better anime, might I suggest Code G***s?"**_

Yoshino tried her hardest to utter a few more honest pleas for her life despite the suffocation but every word out of her mouth was merely met with Yuzuru tightening the chain.

"Yuzuru-Ack!-fight it-Ack!-I'm your-eugh!-friend!"

"Reject. All threats to big sister must be purged! Your life is forfeit" Yuzuru didn't even flinch as she continued to coldly stare down at her while strangling her to death

"_**Just a bit more...We're so close now! Rip em' apart!"**_

Yoshino's vision was fading, her head felt numb, and her heart surged with adrenaline. This was it! She was going to die!

'_I can't hurt them! I won't do it!'_

"_**No! No! No! This is no good! Hermit refuses to stop dying when I want her too!"**_

'_No more! I can't take this!' _Yoshino managed to break her arms out of Kaguya's grip and struggled to loosen the chain but it was no good; Yuzuru's grip was too strong and she couldn't break an angel with her bare hands!

'_Friends don't kill friends! Friends don't kill friends! Friends don't kill friends!' _

She attempted to thrash around like a caught fish to dislodge the angel enough to breathe but just couldn't get the chain to budge!

"_**You saw that video and what became of your "friend" Tohka! Friends do kill friends! You can't deny what you did Hermit! You can't pretend friendship or love is some unbreakable thing! The song could break it! The darkness could break it! LET! US! OUT!"**_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

With terror in her heart and the voice's words in her head Yoshino at long last lashed out at the girl on top of her all the while screaming. Manifesting long claws of rigid, sharp ice on her hands she swung with all her might at Yuzuru's chest. With her full weight behind the attack Yoshino sent the crystalline blades deep into the Yamai sister's torso in one swift movement.

"Pain. Fatal...Damage…" Yuzuru called out to her sister one last time before keeling over in a bloody heap

"Sister! What have you done to her?!" roared Kaguya with a retaliatory thrust of her lance that was deflected with Yoshino's other bladed hand

With the lance flying past her Yoshino didn't even think as she used her free claw to viciously jab Kaguya in the stomach hard enough to stop the wind spirit's charge dead, soon to be followed by the spirit herself who looked horrified as she realized her wound and dropped to the ground on top of her sister.

For a few seconds there hung an unusual smile on Yoshino's face while in her heart she felt an unnatural warmth. In her hands the cold ice and hot blood mixed and, despite everything she knew about herself, the sensation just felt so..._right!_

"_**Ah...Glorious…" **_moaned the voice with undeniable pleasure like it had been waiting for this feeling for a long time.

Eventually Yoshino fell out of this blood haze and snapped back to reality when she saw both twins lying at her feet "Huh? Kaguya? Yuzuru? No!" When she fought back she didn't mean to do this! How could she even manage to fight like that?! She had gone from practically dead at their hands and too weak to resist to slaughtering both with such frightening ease!

Where did that power come from?!

Why did it feel good?!

"Please be ok! I'm so sorry!" Yoshino was uncontrollably sobbing and shaking as she turned Kaguya and Yuzuru onto their backs so she could inspect their wounds

Both girls' maid outfits were stained with blood and neither was breathing; Yoshino used what little she knew of first aid to check their pulses anyway but of course none was found.

"Just...ugh...maybe mouth to mouth!? I need to get them breathing again! Just long enough to get them to a hospital or something!"

"_**You mean like the totally not dead Shido back there?"**_

Yoshino was keenly aware of just how much sarcasm that sentence had been dripping with and ignored it in her desperation "Yes! They need to be brought to Reine or to a hospital or just to anyone!"

"_**I know someone who can help Hermit with that!'**_

"Help...? Yes! Help! I need help! I'll take anyone!"

"YOSHINO?!"

'_That voice...' _though Yoshino in disbelief as she slowly craned her neck to look at the source of the fearful yell...

* * *

During the course of merely looking up from the floor the world around Yoshino seemed to change; without any explanation she was standing on some random street in the same market district Shido often took her to shop. It was sunset and all around her the shops and stalls were shuttered for the evening leaving only herself and a terrified looking Shido holding some bags standing in the street.

'_He's alive?' _Yoshino thought back to seeing him "injured" back on the stage by her attack and rejoiced _'Shido's still alive!'_

Yoshino didn't question the how or why of it; all she cared about was the fact she didn't hurt him! It had all been a terrible dream! "Shido! I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Stay away!"

Yoshino recoiled "Sh-Shido...?"

"What did you do Yoshino!?"

"What did I…(gasp!)" Yoshino looked towards her feet where Shido was now pointing at

Still underneath her was the corpses of both Kaguya and Yuzuru. The difference was now they had no sign of any maid outfits or astral dresses on them; only their normal school clothes now stained with crimson blood adored the twin's bodies. For all intents and purposes it appeared Yoshino had attacked them while shopping with Shido and brutally cut down both with her claws. She was still splattered in their blood and the murder weapons now hung low on her hands lightly dripping specks of red onto the ground with each step she took.

In short Yoshino had traded in dealing with her killing Shido back at the festival for the situation she now found herself in with both the twins dead by her claws.

"Shido I…"

"How could you?!"

"I didn't mean...they attacked and I...Shido I'm scared!" after failing to excuse herself Yoshino found herself pleading with Shido to help her

At this point she didn't know what was real and what was just a dream:

Had the first version of the festival been real...?

The second...?

Was what she had seen aboard the ship all been a nightmare...?

Was she still stuck under the Diva's control and all of this was just a way to keep her mind from becoming free; a mental prison of sorts to trap her in confusion and nightmares while her body acted upon the idol's wishes?

Could her body be out in the real world killing Shido right now!?

Did she just wake from Diva's control after killing Kaguya and Yuzuru who she wanted dead for some reason!?

Perhaps she just died and gone straight to her own vision of hell?!

Where did reality end and the dreams begin?!

In her cloud of confusion and fear all she knew for certain is that she wanted Shido to help her. She wanted to go crying to him and have him make it all better like he always did! He was the one who helped her when she was sealed! He was brave, strong, and always knew how to fix even the worst problems! She needed him right now!

The problem was that Shido was backing away from her in fear as she shambled in his direction looking for any scrap of comfort he could give the confused spirit. Every time Yoshino called out to him begging for help he took another two steps back before finally turning tail and fleeing down a dark alleyway forcing Yoshino to go chase after him.

As he fled Shido yelled "Get away from me!"

Yoshino melted and cast away her claws "Shido! I need help! I don't know what's going on anymore! Please Shido help me!"

It was pathetic and sad to be crying out for help like some sort of baby but after all she had been though all Yoshino felt like doing was crying. This nightmare (if that's what it was) just wouldn't end and she couldn't take it anymore!

"I want to go back to the ship and wake up in my bed! I want it to stop! Please! Someone make it stop!"

"_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_ In her ears came a harsh cackling worthy of the mad hatter from that story about the Alice girl Yoshino liked. It sounded exactly like Yoshinon but the cruel laugh told her it was the other voice; the one who told her to lash out like she did against the twins.

Yoshino held her head and begged the voice to leave her alone as she ran down the alley "Huunghh! Out of my head! This isn't something to laugh at!"

The voice ignored her and continued to laugh at her pain; it's constant cackle caused Yoshino's head to hurt but she had no way of forcing the voice to stop leaving her with no other options but to grin and bear it until she caught up with Shido who continued to stay just out of reach. Eventually the hurtful shrieking compelled her to try and block her ears only to discover it could reach her still; it was as if the voice was inside her brain!

'_If it's inside me then...'_

"Ooaf!"

Before Yoshino could put the pieces together her thoughts and body where both blocked by her slamming into something barring her path; sending her falling back onto her bottom rather clumsily.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you and-" Yoshino's habitual politeness was cut off "Diva!"

Before her stood the one who had so coldly manipulated her mind; the one to blame for all of this. The Spirit Idol still wore her yellow astral dress and gave Yoshino a dismissive frown that gave the impression she didn't consider her worthy of even breathing the same air as her.

"What are you doing here?!"

"..."

"Where is Shido?!"

"..."

"Are you after him again?!"

"..."

"Did you hurt him!?"

"..."

"Answer me!"

"..." Diva attempted to disengage with Yoshino and simply walk around her without a word

"Don't walk away from me!" yelled Yoshino extending her arms to block the path

"..." All the girl did was continue to glare at Yoshino

"It's all your fault...all of this...nothing makes sense anymore because of you and your angel..."

More cold stares were the only response. Ironically the Diva's refusal to so much as speak was driving Yoshino's anger almost as much as seeing what happened when she did use her "voice"

"Is this the dream?! Is this real!?"

"..."

"Whats going on!? Am I awake or am I dreaming!? Did I hurt shido!? Tell me what you made me do!"

"..."

"Raaaaghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" reaching the end of her rope and already full to the brim with anger and confusion Yoshino lept towards the Diva with every intention of beating the answers out of her!

"**Yoshino stop! That's what it wants you to do!"**

That voice! It was Yoshinon! The real one! The shock stunned Yoshino mid-flight as the Diva vanished before her eyes making her crash against the ground face first…


	13. The Monster Inside Her Head Pt 2

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 13: The Monster Inside Her Head Part 2**

* * *

"Where are you?!"

"**Stop looking for her! This anger is what the other side wants!" **the disembodied voice of Yoshinon, the true Yoshinon, continued to consult her but by this point it was too late

The normally peaceful and gentle girl was stuck in a sheer blind rage and she _needed _to find the ghost of the Diva that was haunting her dreams. It was the only thing that seemed to make sense considering what this nightmare world had warped into after her last encounter with her.

What had started back on that stage with Shido's body had transformed into a random street market before finally dumping Yoshino in a sea of snow, ice, and darkness. After diving after the visage of the Diva back in that alley Yoshino found herself being transported to a miserable clouded tundra where a raging blizzard and whiteout conditions only barely kept the Diva's outline visible _just _out of reach of the pursuing spirit's grip! The swirling snow buffered Yoshino's front but she kept running after the shadow, she was determined to not let it escape not matter how long this hunt dragged on for!

Hunt...yes...hunt was a good word her mind thought. She was the hunter and that meant the Diva was her prey, it meant that she was strong and that it was the Diva that should fear _**HER**_. Yoshino was a vigilant hunter and she would find her prey and extract a most terrible vengeance!

"...Make her pay…..._**DIVA has to pay**_….find her…"

"**Agh! Not good! The other is taking control! Yoshino if that happens…!"**

"...Find her….hurt her…._**hunt**_ her….._**hunt**_ is good….."

The madness of the dream and the endless chase was taking it's toll on Yoshino with most of her thoughts being slowly consumed by the pursuit of her prey.

"…..She manipulated me….abused me…..humiliated me…..I'll never forgive her…...I'll take this anger to my _**GRAVE!**_" there was a fierce growl as Yoshino's voice warped, becoming more animalistic as she spoke.

Through all the anger and snow Yoshino was unaware of these changes and just kept sprinting through the endless snowbanks. The outline of the Diva was still in front of her and it wouldn't be till she had her hands wrapped around that girl's throat and was strangling her to death that Yoshino would allow herself to think of other matters!

"_**A little more! Hermit has so much anger locked away inside her! This anger makes for good bait! A hunter always uses the right bait!"**_

As soon as one Yoshinon spoke another followed shortly, uttering a panicked warning **"Yoshino you have to get away! If you go further in you'll let ****them**** out! I know you don't like what that girl did to you, Kaguya, and Yuzuru but if this keeps up attacking Shido on that stage will be the least terrible thing we do this week!"**

"Find her….make her pay….I'll never forgive...I'll never forgive her..."

Yoshinon continued to shout warnings until Yoshino finally chased the Diva into a thick wall of fog that looked more solid than half the snowdrifts that she had stepped through on the way there.

"_**Hehe! Come and get me my precious little Yoshino"**_ taunted the bad voice trying to imitate Diva's tone

"**Ohnononono! Get away from there!"**

"You can't run from me anymore! I'll make you pay!"

"**No! Yoshino!"**

**Crack!**

* * *

Instead of sinking through upon contact Yoshino's body hit the fog and caused it to crack and shatter as if Yoshino had just crashed into some magical wall of glass upon which the fog had been superimposed. As the pieces fell she could still see the clouds swirling in the fragments but paid them no heed, instead trampling a few underfoot as she entered into the formerly walled in area.

"Show yourself!" she yelled with the obstacle out of the way

"**That wall was all that was keeping it inside! Yoshino get away and put it back up!" **Yoshinon's voice seemed more distant after the wall came down

Deep inside herself Yoshino could feel _something _slowly began to stir. A sensation of someone gripping at her heart attacked her. In short time her breath became ragged, her hands scrunched up like she was preparing to scratch someone with her nails, every fiber of being seemed to be enveloped in pure liquid rage.

Inside her head Yoshino felt compelled by strange thoughts _'I want to hurt something! Diva, DEM, the AST! Just something! Anything will do! I want to see pain! I want someone to pay for what she did to me! I'll make everyone pay for everything they've done to me!' _as she continued to walk Yoshino found herself becoming angrier and angrier at everything and everyone.

The Diva brainwashing her!

Kotori being so incompetent that she couldn't protect them!

Reine for taking her down to the festival and right into the waiting arms of the Diva's song!

Tohka for being too weak to resist being captured leaving Shido all alone!

Kaguya and Yuzuru for falling under the spell!

Yoshinon for not being able to help Yoshino snap out of it!

Shido for…

Upon thinking Shido's name something inside Yoshino's head seemed to snap back into place _'Shido? Why would I be mad at him? He did everything he could!' _inside her mind the anger was bowled over by a thousand memories of all the good Shido had done for her. From helping her find Yoshinon every time he was lost to something a simple as cooking for her at almost every meal, Yoshino couldn't even think of anything he had ever done to warrant this anger!

Shido loved her, took good care of her, he was the one who convinced her to trust others when she didn't think she could have anyone in the world besides Yoshinon in her life. The entire reason she had been so mad at the Diva was because she had ripped that away from her with her hypnotizing music and forced Yoshino to (in her eyes) betray him so heartlessly. It made sense to be angry at the Diva for what she had done and maybe even herself for her own perceived failures to somehow prevent herself from being controlled but how did it spread to everyone else?

'_Why am I... what is going on here? How could I be mad at Reine and Kaguya and Yuzuru!?' _Yoshino's senses started to return to her as she realized how silly it was to be angry at all her friends _'I asked Reine to take me down and told her I wanted to stay when she left, she didn't do anything wrong. Kaguya and Yuzuru were helping Shido and they couldn't have known what was about to happen so they couldn't do anything. Tohka did her best and even managed to protect Shido by letting herself be captured like that! Why was I mad at them?'_

The fire inside Yoshino began to die down with this reflection and, for the first time since she got to this strange tundra, she slowly began to think more clearly. Confusion wracked her brain and she finally became keenly aware of just how disorienting her situation was she had blindly charged into this dream blizzard chasing after something that didn't exist all while her mind was consumed by a blinding anger that had just kept spreading.

If the memories of Shido hadn't snapped her out of it Yoshino would have been mad at those who had done nothing wrong. It was horrible the way she had almost thought about doing terrible things to her friends and had so easily been driven to hate and despise them almost! Why was this happening? Her brain seemed like it was trying to rebel against her will with all this misplaced anger and the terrible dream. Could this have been a slow burning side effect of the Diva's mind control she wondered? Something was eating away at her brain and it was trying far too hard to paint all her friends in a bad light.

There was something truly wrong about this dream and Yoshino realized it "That's right...I'm still dreaming...but...before…those attacks from Kaguya and Yuzuru...they hurt…" Yoshino ran her hand down the part of her back Yuzuru had whipped, the pain might have been dull compared to the emotional trauma of being almost killed by her friends after being convinced she had murdered Shido but she had definitely felt Yuzuru's chain sink into her back.

"_**That's because this is no ordinary dream Hermit!" **_

As soon as she heard the mysterious call Yoshino turned towards where the taunt had come from but was greeted with a sight even more terrible than anything she had seen in the waking or dreaming worlds within the last 24 hours. Even knowing this was now only a nightmare didn't prepare Yoshino or soften the feeling of disgust in her stomach when she turned to face a literal pile of bodies bearing the faces of friends stacked up in the snow. Starting at bottom was Kotori followed Yuzuru, Kaguya, Tohka, Renie, and finally Shido. All of them had been torn up and were semi frozen and blue from the cold. Their countless cuts and gashes were filled with frozen blood as their dead eyes and pained frozen expressions suggested a brutal death. As horrific as the wounds were the one that had obviously made them was what pushed Yoshino's mind to the edge. For there, on top of the bodies, was a corrupt and twisted version of herself; another Yoshino!

Barely holding back vomit Yoshino squeaked "Wh-Who are you?!"

"_**We are the monster inside your head!" **_The voice from before spoke but her other self hadn't made a sound or even moved her lips which were currently nipping at Dream Shido's body with her teeth like she was starved animal!

As if literally trying to EAT Shido's body wasn't terrible enough everything else about this new Yoshino extruded an air of brutality and revulsion. She wore a black version of Yoshino's astral dress that seemed ragged and worn, with all sorts of rips and tears covering what should have been an absolute suit of armor. A face mirroring Yoshinon's had been stitched into the hood but the addition of cruel fangs on his jovial smile made it give off a far darker impression than she would have liked. From out the back of the dress came a series of wicked ice spikes, sharpened to the point that any would be attackers would be skewered if they attempted to strike her from behind. This addition wasn't the only thing showing this other Yoshino's more offensive nature, from both her hands came a pair of oversized claws of hardened ice. The crystalline blades possessed a wicked sharpness and if the wounds on her friend's bodies were any hint the claws could easily tear even a spirit in two. With both hands occupied a bloodspattered Yoshinon hung from a necklace that was wrapped around both the puppet and spirit's neck making it look like Yoshinon was trying to hang himself from a gallows. With a final yank the other Yoshino lifted her bloodied face from Shido's corpse and gave Yoshino a glare that she immediately recognized.

'_The video!'_

It was a look of far more cruelty than Yoshino ever felt comfortable believing could cross her face. Ever since she had watched what the Diva had forced her to do the image of that glare had always been at the back of her mind, it was an image that hurt to see the first time and now it felt like the other her was using it just to try and mock Yoshino. It was a look of pure hate and the more Yoshino stared into her own mirrored eyes the more it felt like _she _was the monster for being able to give Shido such a dirty, terrible look. A hot pain struck her head after a few seconds of staring leaving Yoshino to grab her forehead and stumble away onto the ground in agony.

"_**Oh it seems Hermit doesn't like what she REALLY looks like!"**_

"That voice…" muttered Yoshino weakly from the ground. It took only a few seconds but she was finally able to realize who that voice belonged to "You're the _other _Yoshinon aren't you!?" Even if the Yoshinon dangling from this other Yoshino's neck wasn't in the right place it appeared it could still talk and it had been the one goading her on, leading her to this place the whole time.

"_**Hermit finally figured it out didn't she? I guess Hermit isn't that big of a dumb dumb!"**_

"W-W-Who a-a-are you?! What is-s-s g-g-going on?!"

"_**As I said before! We're the monster inside your head! Say hello to your "dark" side little Hermit!"**_

"My-My d-d-dark side? I have one?"

"_**Of course! All the spirits have monsters inside of them! You met the Princess's earlier before that bully stuffed her back inside"**_

Tohka's dark side? The inverse! Yoshino hadn't gotten too good of a look at Renie's files on what had happened to Tohka after she opened that video but she did see enough to know this was a big problem! Inverse Spirits were bad! They only wanted to hurt people!

"You're me! Th-The dark me!"

Without a word in response the dark Yoshino broke her glare and jumped from the pile with surprising agility. Once she was on the ground the inverse conjured a brutal torrent of wind and snow that blinded Yoshino. Around her she could hear the telltale crack of ice being formed by her angel and when the wind died down there was no sign of her dark self or the pile of bodies. Instead all Yoshino could see was a vast forest of icicles tall as trees surrounding her with the wind whipping snow between them.

Sensing danger Yoshino took a few cautious steps back, there was something moving between the pillars of ice and she could hear it. The sounds of snow being crushed underfoot danced from one side of Yoshino to the other. Even after so long the instincts honed into Yoshino by the AST's attacks stood strong, she was well aware that she was being circled like a target...or prey in this case.

Normally when the AST squads tried this tactic Yoshino would raise a wall of frozen air to keep them at bay but in this strange place her powers refused to listen to her commands. With no angel she was a sitting duck for that dark thing stalking her from shadows.

"_**Your powers won't obey you now Hermit. What good are they? Truthfully Hermit always hated her powers because they were the reason she was always attacked! The idea that they could help protect Shido and her "friends" made them bearable but now truth shall be known! All they're good for is pain! pain! pain!" **_

"Wh-Wh-Where are you?!"

"_**Stupid powers! Hermit can't even trust her own angel so how is she supposed to trust anyone?! Nothing is trustworth, NOTHING!"**_

"I don't un-understand! Why are y-y-you doing this!? What do you want!?"

"RAAAGGHHH!"

The Dark version of herself came shooting out from behind a pillar, she charged down Yoshino wildly swinging her claws in the air and screaming the whole time. It was fast but Yoshino managed to tumble out of the way just before the razor sharp claws could rip into her body. All that protected her was the maid outfit which was a far step below her limited astral dress.

A clawed hand sailed over her head, upon seeing the attack fail to connect her assailant broke contact and fled into the woods leaving a pale and shaking Yoshino in her wake. It wasn't that Yoshino wasn't scared in normal combat but that attack had just been more brutal than anything she had ever handled before! There was no sign of the AST's disciplined tactics or even the brutal skill of inverse Tohka, the way her dark side fought was just a wild beast full of fury! Biting Shido's body, all the hissing and growling, running on all fours, letting Yoshinon do all the talking; her inverse side was little more than a wild animal or attack dog with Dark Yoshinon as it's master!

Heavy breathing gripped Yoshino's chest and her eyes frantically searched for the next attack.

"_**Hermit asks us what we want and the truth is we want YOU"**_

"How do you mea-ehhh!" a repeat of the first attack followed before she could speak and was over the same way just as quickly with the dark spirit returning to the shadows. The dark spirit was changing up the tempo of it's attacks as if it didn't want to let Yoshino fall into a comfortable pattern as it spoke.

"_**Each spirit has a monster inside of them and we are the Hermit's. When Hermit saw that video she was filled with such a beautiful despair! The monsters are born of despair, feed on despair, are freed by despair!"**_

"That d-doesn't e-e-explain…"

"_**We were so CLOSE to being free! You hate being a burden and watching your friends get hurt so watching that video; seeing what she made you do...it was like looking into Hermit's own. personal. hell!"**_

A cold chill even more intense than what should have been brought on by the icy arena shuddered Yoshino's body. For a while now she had been hoping that since this was a only dream her dark side was nothing more than a nightly specter brought on by a restless and weary mind but if what she had seen on that computer about a spirit's dark side was true that meant…

'_All those bad feelings...that horrible sick feeling when I almost got rid of Yoshinon...I almost became like Tohka!'_

These thoughts were not lost on the Dark Yoshinon who could hear what she was thinking _**"What Hermit is thinking is right! Hermit almost became like the Princess! All we needed was a bit more! A few more bad thoughts, a slightly longer video, seeing some of the wounds that surely must of been from Hermit's attacks on that boy's body...a little more and we would have been free!" **_

Now knowing the monster could hear her thoughts Yoshino didn't bother to hold back her questions anymore.

"But why are you doing this!?"

"_**Hermit's mind protected herself like it always does, by breaking! When we were about to come out and hunt those around the Hermit everything shattered and trapped us in this dream!"**_

'_They're trapped here?' _

"_**Even if we are trapped in here Hermit can still hear our voice and see what dreams we want her to see! As Hermit's despair rises we get closer to being free!" **_Dark Yoshinon announced_** "So to answer your question, we need Hermit to give into her despair once more until we are free! Free to hunt! Free. to. KILL!"**_

"RARGHHHH!"

A howling Dark Yoshino came barreling out of the woods moving on all fours like a animal with surprising speed. This time there was no way to dodge leaving Yoshino to watch her doppelganger pounce on her with claws outstretched. She screamed and did her best to defend herself with her hands but there was no way to keep her nightmare from rending her in two.

"Yoshinon I need you!"

**Thunk!**

"...wha...huh?"

No pain? No blood? No wet slopping noise as her body was cut and half and fell to the ground like it did in those samurai anime?

"A-A shield? Where did this come from?" Yoshino asked as she inspected the shield of ice shaped like Yoshinon's head she now somehow held in her hands.

"**She's taken most of your powers so this is all I can do right now!"**

"Yoshinon!" His voice was soft and carried with it a slight echo but even with her dark side fiercely grunting as she tried to smash the shield Yoshino could definitely make out her hero's voice!

Her hero had no time for pleasantries, the dark side was close to locking them out of Yoshino's dream entirely so he was forced to explain as quickly as possible what she needed to do.

"**As long as she's in the dream she can only be as strong as you let her! The monster inside your head gobbles up every bad thought and feeling you have and becomes stronger! As long as you don't listen to her she can't hurt you! You need to be brave Yoshino! Don't let her get to you! She'll say a lot of mean and nasty things to make you sad or angry or even doubt your friends but you can't let her confuse you!" **

Feeling a newfound strength Yoshino pushed against her inverse side hard enough to send the dark spirit tumbling across the snow.

"Hiss!" The dark doppelganger gave Yoshino one more harsh glare and bounded back into the safety of her shadows.

"**Remember your friends! Remember Shido! Remember how much he loves you!"**

"Yoshinon's right! I love my friends! I love Shido! I can do this!" Yoshino's heart began to flutter with hope! This was just like she saw in all her shows! Love and friendship would keep away and defeat the scary monsters and the heroine would have her happily ever after!

"_**Again with this worthless love and friendship nonsense!" **_spat Dark Yoshinon in disgust _**"If that boy loved her so much why did he save the Princess before Hermit! You woke up when the Diva lost control as she was helping him save Princess from those DEM nutjobs! He worked with the one that was controlling you! Doesn't that bother you?! Did he even care that she was trying to **__**enslave**__** you?! Maybe the deal was he would trade you three to her if she helped save the Princess!?"**_

"Shido's not like that! He must of had a good reason! He wouldn't trade us away!"

"_**A good reason to **__**abandon**__** you three to her?! He ran off to rescue that girl when she was taken and even went into that huge tower to save her, but did he ever even **__**try**__** to get you three back from the Diva?!"**_

Yoshino flinched, she couldn't deny what Dark Yoshinon had said didn't sting a little. During Shido's explanation of what had happened he had highlighted to her and the twins several times that the Diva had used the three to help her save Tohka with him. It was probably to help soften the blow of what she had done and ease any hostility they felt towards the busty idol but all throughout him talking about it something had been eating away at Yoshino's heart. Shido had dropped everything to run off and save Tohka from DEM, who Yoshino knew were really bad to spirits, but couldn't he have tried to save her or the twins first? She knew the danger Tohka was in compared to them and understood the Diva wasn't as dangerous but the idea that herself and the Yamai sisters were basically kidnapped and Shido put them on the backburner in exchange for Tohka...it, well...it hurt. No matter how well meaning it was or how few options he had, Shido let them stay with the Diva while he fought tooth and nail to save Tohka. She was more important to him...

"_**Brag about your love all you want! Even if you claim he loves you both it's obvious who he'll save if given a choice between you two!"**_

Each world bit into Yoshino's heart giving the dark spirit the cover she needed so that when the next attack came Yoshino only barely managed to stop the claws with her shield before her other side retreated again.

"**Stop listening to him! You know he's wro...!"**

"Yoshinon!"

"**...on't listen! He...trying…you...elive in them Yoshino! Care ab...your...iends…Don't li….n to him...up!...Wake…"**

"No! Yoshinon!? Don't leave me here alone with them!"

"_**Even **__**he**__** can't be trusted Hermit…"**_

"S-Shut up!"

"_**Oh! Hermit's getting mean now!"**_

"Even if..." Yoshino paused and wiped a tear away from her eye "...even if Shido might choose to save Tohka over me I can always trust Yoshinon!"

Yoshino raised her shield defiantly and awaited the next series of attacks. With a manic scream her other self came punching out of the icicles. Soon enough the arena was filled with the sounds of ice clashing with ice as the two continued to fight and argue with everything they had.

"HAAAAAARGH!"

"_**Hermit can't trust anyone! How can she after this night?! Did you not hear what the Diva said?!"**_

"Q-Quiet!"

"_**The Diva said Hermit broke! **__**Easily**__** broke! Diva played her song and snapped Hermit's love and friendship like brittle ice!"**_

A swing of her dark side's claws left a crack on her Yoshinon shield's left ear...

"_**Hermit needs her friends to avoid despair just like she needed that puppet back she the AST chased her night and day to kill her! Hermit needs to finally feel safe! To have something she can always count on, to have someone to make her pathetic life worth living!"**_

The maid outfit had large rips taken out of the side of it by a glancing blow…

"_**How can Hermit trust something that can ripped apart, torn to pieces, chewed to bits!? That love can't survive even a simple spell! How can Hermit still believe these things are unbreakable!?"**_

In an attempt to get the spirit to stop Yoshino swung her shield level with her dark copies' face only to swing wide and get another hole torn in her outfit for the trouble…

"_**Oh! Hermit doesn't like it but she knows I speak the truth!"**_

"No you d-d-don't!"

"_**All your love was worthless in the face of the Diva's spell! Hermit's friendship with the Princess? Tossed and forgotten to the wind! The love Hermit had for that boy? Does Hermit think she would even cried after he was cold and dead by our ice while she was under that spell!?"**_

A vicious blow shattered part of the shield and left cracks throughout the rest…

"T-That's not what would have happened! "

"_**How long did Hermit and the Berserk duo hunt for that boy I wonder? Can Hermit even imagine what that must of been like? Running alone and scared through a city out to kill you with three girls who claimed to have loved you out for your life? To have everyone you know and love turned against you so...so...easily!?"**_

"Enough…!"

Another hit removed Yoshinon's left ear and ripped a portion of Yoshino's maid bonnet from her head…

"_**Hermit doesn't want to admit it but THAT is the truth! Everything she learned from that boy and her childish cartoons about trusting others was nothing more than a lie! Friendship and love aren't some sacred things that can never be broken! Even if they don't betray and abandon you of their own free will there exists powers that can just take them away, to make them hurt Hermit! Love is a lie! Friendship a lie!"**_

"S-Shido will seal her! When the Diva is sealed she won't be able to use that power! It won't happen again! No one will ever turn me into a traitor again!"

Yoshino began to sob as her will to fight began to wane…

"No one will ever make me hurt me friends again! It'll be ok! It'll all be ok! It won't happen again! Never again! I'll never attack Shido like that again!"

"_**Pathetic…"**_

Dark Yoshino unleashed all her power into a crushing blow forcing the two identical girls into a pushing match with their weapons…

"GRRRRR!"

"_**Does Hermit forget what **__**I**__** am?"**_

"Y-You're..."

Yoshino's shield began to give as one of the ice talons punctured it's frozen hide…

"_**Each Spirit has a monster inside them waiting to come out…"**_

"No…"

"_**She saw what happened to Princess and what almost happened back in her room but doesn't want to realize what that means…"**_

The ice in Yoshino's hands began to creak under pressure…

"_**I can see the fear in Hermit's eyes. Hermit knows what happens when the monsters come out. Even if she can keep me from getting out what about the others? One morning Hermit is eating breakfast and BOOM! By lunch time either of the Berserk twins has let their monster out and is dead by Hermit's hands in self defense!"**_

"That won't...That won't…"

"_**Happen? It could! Maybe Princess will go off again or even Efreet! Oh! Maybe Diva will let her monster out, brainwash Hermit again, and make her kill all her friends! Won't that be nice?! HaHAhA! Hermit's worst nightmare could come true at any time! Hermit got lucky this time but there's always tomorrow right?"**_

"No...Just-just no!"

Yoshino dropped to her knees with the crumbling shield giving way in her trembling couldn't handle this, she didn't want to realize her dark side was right and that these things could happen...

"_**Let that sink in Hermit, let it really settle in your mind! Everyone Hermit knows and cares for has a bomb inside them waiting to go off! When it does they'll come for the blood of anyone around them, even so called friends! Hermit is the same way, if Hermit ever loses control I'll come out and kill all she holds dear. I want Hermit to know in her heart that all those smiling faces she sees when she has fun with them mean nothing. Those smiles hide danger, pain, betrayal and every single morning Hermit wakes up brings with it another chance to see these things brought to the surface!"**_

With a heavy grunt the Dark Spirit ripped the shield from Yoshino's hands and discard it among the snow banks, it's owner too broken to care as she quietly cried on her knees…

"_**Hermit never wants to hurt her friends again but in reality there's a very good chance she won't have a choice in the matter. Hermit's bonds with the others didn't survive the Solo and it will most certainly not survive the monsters..."**_

The battle was over, Yoshino laid broken and waiting for the final blow to be struck by her beastial copy when suddenly a single point of light appeared above the two of them.

"_**Now?! That DAMN puppet! Hermit lasted just long enough to deny us again!"**_

"GRAAAAGH!" Her copy screeched and slammed down her claws into the snow in frustration mirroring her master's anger, even if the Dark Yoshino was merely a puppet of a puppet it clearly wanted to be freed as well.

"_**I was just getting started!" **_lamented Dark Yoshinon as Dark Yoshino turned to glare at her light counterpart one last hateful time _**"I was going to be free! Oh the hunt we could have!"**_

With one final whooosh! an enormous gust of wind and snow enveloped the dream and returned all to darkness.

"_**Trust no one Hermit...Not even that boy…What he taught you of trusting others? All lies..."**_

* * *

"What idiot was in charge of getting all the systems back online?! It's almost 1 P.M! I was expecting everything to operational by the time I woke back up! Why is spirit monitoring still down?!"

"That would be my fault! There was some unexpected hiccups with the mainframe! Please punish me for my failures! I even brought the bat myself!"

**Thunk!**

"Hit me harder!"

"Oh for the love of...I want everything back up by the time I get done with lunch with big brother! Also make sure Tohka stays in bed today!"

"Sorry to say your brother went off to see Miku about something so he's not…"

**Thunk!**

"Soo good!

"Dammit! I was looking forward to saying sorry for...nevermind. Just get all systems back up, I'm off to take a shower!"

The sounds of the ship's' PA system greeted Yoshino as she woke up at long last albeit slowly. Having never really taken sleeping pills before the little spirit was unprepared for the coudy haze she was left in after taking such a strong medication. It was almost like the whole world didn't matter while a series of hands attempted to drag her head back down to rest more. Amazingly despite the nightmare she had just had the thought of more sleep seemed good to her still somewhat drugged mind. Perhaps it was because of the sudden wave of relief that crossed over her as she realized she was finally awake? The passing of the nightmare and the start of a new day (Really afternoon by this point) gave Yoshino's mind a wonderful sense of peace. The dream was done, the battle with DEM and Tohka was over, and she was safe back inside her room once more. With any luck Yoshino could just stay in her room, watch her dramas, play with Yoshinon, and hope she never saw the Diva ever again. She just wanted to be as far away from yesterday as she possibly could.

It was over…

With her eyes still closed Yoshino sighed "That was a really bad dream huh Yoshinon?"

"**..."**

"Yoshinon?"

A quick hand motion revealed a distinct lack of the touch of fabric where Yoshinon normally was, being replaced by a odd cold sensation. As expected it didn't take long for Yoshino react to her missing hero by shooting straight up in bed. Unfortunately as soon as she opened her eyes to see if she could spot him among her sheets she discovered the soft fabric she was laying on wasn't her blanket…

"I'm on the floor?" she asked with confusion up noticing her current position sprawled out in front of her dresser "What is…?!"

A harsh choke stopped Yoshino's words dead. With terror she lifted up her hands to see them equipped with a pair of bladed ice claws. Below her laid the mauled remnants of her maid outfit that had been torn apart for scrap pieces of fabric. From the pieces she had crudely fashioned a necklace that now held Yoshinon swinging around her neck...

* * *

No one asked questions when Yoshino said she just wanted to sleep in that day. With the ship's surveillance and spirit monitoring down no one knew that after she had recovered Yoshinon and crammed the shredded maid outfit back into it's hiding place Yoshino spent the rest of the day in the bathtub scrubbing incessantly while muttering the same thing over and over again...

"It's her fault...It's all her fault...The Diva did this to me...I'll never forgive her...It's her fault...It's all her fault...The Diva did this to me...I'll never forgive her...It's her fault...It's all her fault...It's her fault...It's all her fault...The Diva did this to me...I'll never forgive her...It's her fault...It's all her fault...The Diva did this to me...I'll never forgive her...It's her fault...It's all her fault…"

"**Y-Yoshino?"**

"She woke up the monster…!"

* * *

Author Note: Well the last two chapters turned out way darker than I had planned on. I'm really proud of what I came up for Dark Yoshino &amp; Dark Yoshinon. When I think of Dark Tohka I think of dark regality and aggressive arrogance that fits with her princess name and throne weapon so when I went to design Dark Yoshino I went with something more rabid and bestial in nature to fit with her animal theme with Dark Yoshino being little more than a feral animal and Dark Yoshinon doing the thinking. In a way I was inspired by the Beauty and Beast Corps from Metal Gear 4; a beautiful girl's trauma gave birth to a powerful and wild hunter that's only barely controlled in battle by a manipulative force. I really hope someone leaves a review for this one, I'd like to know if anyone still cares about this story and how it's progressing.


	14. All these broken feelings

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Chapter 14: All these broken feelings**

* * *

Tenguu City Park

With one final effort Yoshinon had finished it's tale of the video, the dream, and the terrible hunter. It had taken some time and noon had long since passed but it was a story that needed to be told completely if Yoshino was ever going to finally deal with her sorrows. When Yoshino had first told Miku of her terrors the gentle spirit had neglected to make mention of all details for fear of upsetting her. While it was true that she had begun to doubt her sealing and fear the battles of late it was the monster inside her head taunting her that was the main problem she was dealing with. It had filled her nights with constant visions of blood and failure, drove her to doubt her friends and even see them as potential enemies to betray her either willingly or through magical means, it even stroked the fires of hatred towards Miku for her part in it's creation. Yoshino had wanted to be Miku's friend and avoid hurting her feelings by revealing the part she had played but all the while a small voice had been screaming into her head that it was her fault for driving her this mad. It was an utterly baffling feeling, to want to avoid harming someone while at the same time feeling as if you despised them and wanted them to pay for what they had done. Even as Miku fought alongside her on the battlefield and cried with her in that spa the feeling that Yoshino wanted to just jump on her and start hitting her never completely went away. The sad truth was that it had never gone away even when the monster had disappeared for those few months. It's resurgence had made the feelings more intense but Yoshino had held them throughout everything that had happened. Now Miku and the twins had heard everything, they knew Yoshino had been deeply harmed by the events of that night, they knew Yoshino hadn't just forgiven Miku for what she had done, and finally they knew that Yoshino had at least some hostile feelings towards the idol locked away.

While many things had been revealed the more perceptive of the trio noticed there was a few holes in Yoshino's story that didn't make entire sense. Yoshino had seemed nervous when Miku apologized for her brainwashing but nothing suggested upon first encounter that she was harboring feelings of animosity this intense towards the idol. Even if she could suppress and hide them well enough, Yoshino had seemed genuinely friendly towards Miku on multiple occasions such as all the time the two of them had spent together while transformed into children by Natsumi. Aside from that it had only been recently Yoshino began to act strangely when Miku's rampage had happened months ago. Why the delay? Why now?

"Question-" began Yuzuru as the first to break the silence left after the tale "-Yoshinon, why has it taken till now for all these terrible feelings to surface?"

"**That was weird"** the puppet admitted **"After that night the monster didn't really show up again or bother Yoshino till after Origami had her little breakdown" **he further revealed** " It was the night after we fought her inverse form that Yoshino started running into that dark Yoshino &amp; me in her dreams again. Once the nightmares started happening Yoshino only seemed to get worse and worse"**

"Curious. This "monster" becomes more active when faced with inverse spirits" stated Yuzuru to her sister and Miku

The more stoic of the twins wasn't sure if this dark personality was real or simply a result of Yoshino's mind splintering to protect itself from trauma. No other spirit had ever "talked" to their other side in such a manner before, was it even possible for them to do such a thing? If this other personality was some kind of manifestation of Yoshino's (seemly profound) fear of being forced to hurt her friends that might explain why it was more active after seeing a second spirit go inverse. Inversion and Miku's brainwashing were the two main things that could make Yoshino endanger her loved ones against her will, the monster seemed to be obsessed with both. Regardless, real or not, it _was _hurting Yoshino and even seemed to be able to influence her powers and body to some level while sleeping. This ability made it a threat they couldn't ignore.

"So Yoshino was fine until the dream beast appeared to torment her?" asked Kaguya

"**For the most part" **Yoshinon squeaked **"All this fear and worry about whether making kissy time with Shido-kun was a mistake mostly came from those two jerks!"** the puppet angrily squeaked

"Everything seemed so much worse after it came back...I didn't want it to come back...It makes me see bad things in my dreams...It forces me to think about everything bad that happened and tries to scare me by making me think about more bad things happening in the future…"

Yoshino's voice was raspy and quiet, the timid whisper could barely be heard over the distant murmur of shopping crowds in the market. When both maidens of the wind bent down to look at their friend Yoshino was found to laying on her side, Yoshinon clutched to her chest, her face conveying a look of sadness and perhaps a little exhaustion . They could tell the story and the day's events had taken it's toll on Yoshino's heart.

'_Amazing that despite all this her powers remain in check. Could this somehow be the monster's doing?' _wondered Kaguya in awe at the way Yoshino wasn't freezing everything right now.

Normally anything upsetting could set the timid spirit off but yet she hadn't been freezing things or making it rain at all lately. That was one of the reasons everyone believed she was ok, the first sign of an upset spirit was their powers coming loose. How on earth was she still stable when she was going through all this Kaguya had to ask.

Before that train of thought could go any further both sisters became aware of horrible gagging sound behind them followed by unmistakable sound of someone losing their lunch into a trash bin.

This was of course Miku, who was bending over the same pail they had tossed their drinks into earlier. The idol in Miku would normally never be caught dead doing something like this in public but the story, in particular the last part about Yoshino cursing her name in a bathtub, had been too much for her to handle.

Till now Miku had known Yoshino was starting to crack under the pressure that their dangerous lives brought; what she hadn't been prepared for was the revelation that her behavior had set the whole damn thing in motion. That night was supposed to be over with everyone ok and only a few bad memories for those involved; not this mess!

"Miku is not taking this any better than Yoshino is she my sister?"

"Agree. There are many strong emotions wrapped up in that incident for these two"

Knowing things needed to be de-escalated a bit before they went any further both sisters tried to help Yoshino by talking to her and trying to help her get over the incented that spawned the monster.

"Yoshino, you know you don't have to be so upset over what happened that night right? It was..._unfortunate _but nothing worthy of working yourself up over this much. If you can forget what happened and let it vanish into the mists of space and time in your mind perhaps the demon of dreams will loose it's power over you?" Kaguya suggested while dancing a fine line between downplaying Yoshino's feelings and trying to present that night as something not worth remembering

"I saw that video...I saw us try and kill Shido...Fight Tohka...Let her get kidnapped...Even without the monster bothering me I just could never forget…" replied Yoshino in despair

Yuzuru did her best to console her friend "Statement. Such things are regrettable but letting one failure or unpleasant experience control you will do little to help you"

"I feel so petty...You two don't even care about what happened do you? Meanwhile I'm stuck with a monster inside my head because of it...I'm so pathetic"

"Deny. Don't treat yourself like that! You saw something that frightened you and never had a chance to deal with it properly" Yuzuru assured Yoshino

In response Yoshino sat up from the ground and looked at the two sisters, there was still fear in her eyes but you could tell there was also signs of a little hope as well, like she searching for something important and believed they might hold the answer.

"D-Do you two...ever think about what happened?" Yoshino asked timidly

Such a simple question yet also so loaded for the sisters. Both were keenly aware Miku was puking her guts out right behind them out of sheer guilt and knew the last thing she would want to hear is the twins commenting on what she had done in a negative light. Conversely Yoshino was looking for sympathy and telling her the truth that they hadn't ever really thought about it much might get her thinking she was weak for being affected as she was by the memories.

"Explain. The Yamai try not to dwell on the past or any failures that lurk therein. We knew the rough details about what happened and apologized where we saw fit. Tohka and Shido merely said everything was ok and the case was closed" Yuzuru explained

"We knew there was a kidnapping and some fighting while we were enthralled but never saw any further evidence of what occurred like you did. Me and sister believed Shido and Tohka could handle themselves so didn't worry too much about the combat aspect of what happened. Truthfully me and sister were more upset over the idea of Miku attempting to turn us into her-" Kaguya paused as she considered what to say

"**Yuri pleasure slaves?" **Yoshinon blurted out

"I _suppose_ you could put it that way…" replied Kaguya hesitantly

"**Let's not mince words here, we all know what Miku was intending to do with you three if she didn't get sidetracked by revenge" **asserted the puppet

"I don't think she would have gone that far…" guessed Kaguya

Her sister stepped in by saying "Suspect. The likelihood of her playing with us as objects of amusement was high based on all available evidence, although I do agree with sister's statement that she wouldn't have gone all the way with our bodies"

"I wouldn't have minded being her toy for a while...Making us play with her and act like dolls wouldn't of been bad...It was the fighting...Everything I saw on the video…"

Yoshino sounded more calm but still depressed as she looked down from the sisters towards Yoshinon on her hand. Her hero had been the only one she spoke to about this, the only one who knew her pain's true cause, for a moment she reflected on the fact that it was an evil version of him that was haunting her and the irony that entailed.

"I just...I just…" Yoshino took a breath "I just couldn't handle seeing us like that...That glare I gave Shido that made it look like all I wanted in the world was for him to die...It still makes me sick when I think about it...It makes me wonder if what Miku and the monster said about friends being worthless was right…I loved Shido and it didn't matter, I was Tohka's friend and I didn't care that she was being taken away, her angel made all of it worthless"

"Oh god!" cried Miku in agony

It actually seemed like she was getting sicker after each time her name was mentioned! As she went back to heaving into the garbage pail the twins tried to assure Yoshino that that simply wasn't true.

"Statement. We were all a little confused by the angel. Even if our minds become clouded our hearts still remained loyal to Shido" Yuzuru said with a comforting tone

Sadly Yoshino went unconvinced "That wouldn't have mattered if we killed him...That attack...No one could survive that...Without Tohka…" there was a harsh sniffle as Yoshino looked on the verge of tears "If she wasn't around we would have killed Shido…"

Kaguya was next to speak "It's ok Yoshino, calm down..." she tenderly spoke, hoping to keep Yoshino from crying "All of us has tried to cut his mortal coil at some point, even yourself if Tohka's words are to be true. Shido's always handled these run ins with the reaper of souls and come out ok. It's nothing to be worth remembering at this point" the Yamai reasoned

Her logic was kinda dark but ultimately very true.

"I know he has and that even me and Yoshinon attacked Shido but…"

"But…?"

There was a pregnant pause as Yoshino clutched her hero to her chest even tighter and began to cry "But we could always stop, if I didn't want to hurt Shido or..._kill_ him...I could just stop...I didn't have to kill him if I didn't really want to" the trembling spirit explained "Not having a choice...Hurting people for reasons that aren't mine...Being controlled...I didn't like it...Even if everyone says it was ok I still felt like a traitor...Like I did something wrong…"

Miku could be heard muttering denials over and over again with despair upon hearing of Yoshino's misplaced guilt.

Unfortunately for the ailing idol Yoshino had one last thing to get off her chest...

"I-I-I think...I think still hate Miku because of that..."

Another round of violent retching caught everyone's attention as Miku finally emptied her stomach of everything that had been inside.

That had been too much, Miku had found her breaking point and that was the sound of Yoshino admitting some part of her hated her for what she had done.

The idol could only utter a pained "Yoshino, I'm-I'm sorry!" before she turned away with tears streaming down her eyes and began to run off into the distance.

The weight of Yoshino's words were too much for her to handle, Miku knew she had to get away before it was too late. Her powers were starting to awaken from her guilt and when that happened her voice and cries could control the minds of those around her again like she had done to the three she was now with.

After hearing of the damaged state her last brainwashing had left Yoshino's mind in Miku knew she couldn't risk putting her through that again. Aside from that she was feeling like she didn't deserved to be around Yoshino or the twins after what she had done. So she just ran and ran, ignoring both Kaguya and Yuzuru's calls for her to stop and come back.

As one spirit broke so did the other. The sight of Miku sprinting away so distraught she was willing to leave behind her bags and purse drove Yoshino to start crying even harder.

"This is all my fault...Everyone was fine before I came along with my stupid problems...All I did was make trouble for you two and cause this whole mess…"

Kaguya turned back from watching Miku flee to face Yoshino's hiding spot "Don't make such false declarations!" she said, desperate to keep things from going any further.

Behind Kaguya's back her sister rushed to Miku's purse and began to shift the contents around. A small nod showed she found what she was looking for and Yuzuru pocketed something before her sister could ask what was going on.

"Divide. Sister stay with Yoshino and keep her stable. I will deal with the escaping idol" whispered Yuzuru into Kaguya's ear.

"What?! Eh, hold but one moment Yoshino!" Kaguya excused herself from the disinterested spirit and leaned in close to argue with her sister in private about what to do.

"Her power can be felt from the 7th realm my sister, the angel inside her is running rampant and if any enchanting melodies enter your ears you'll become her revenant! The commander and the others will likely be on their way soon to-"

"Observe. They aren't coming" Yuzuru interrupted her sister

"What do you mean?! They must be able to detect it with their ship of many eyes!"

"Reason. Yoshino has run out of control once already today and they did not detect it. There is an obvious point of failure within Rataoskr's observation operation. We cannot remain idle! What if the AST or even DEM detect what they appear to have missed!?" Yuzuru pulled her sister right to her face and gave Yoshino's hiding spot beneath the bench a cautious glance "Dread. What if she even gives into despair and transforms like Master Origami and Tohka?" she challenged "If Yoshino is upset by the idea of inversion and could not handle being controlled by her normally-"

"-Being faced with Dark Miku would be something even her darkest nightmares could never match…" Yuzuru's sister realized grimy. With that made clear the sister in black gave the sister in white a knowing nod and said "Ok my sister, go and do what you can for Miku, just be sure to avoid becoming enthralled by her devil's choir!"

Yuzuru had a small smile of confidence on her face "Prepared. Worry not, I have a plan!"

"Of course my brilliant sibling would have some master stroke prepared!" replied Kaguya with an equally confident smirk

"Praise. Yuzuru always appreciates Kaguya's compliments. I'm sure you will handle Yoshino with equal skill!"

'_I hope so or else I will end up a spiritsicle!' _worried Kaguya who really didn't have much of plan besides sit down and try to calm Yoshino with her words.

Still she had an image to maintain and attempted to acted cool and confident "I will watch over her and try to contact Shido or the commander. As much as I despise the idea of a Yamai breaking an oath of silence we can ill afford to keep this a secret if it means risking having two umbra spirits unleashing their ill will around town!"

Both maidens of the wind gave the other one last "Good Luck!" and went off to deal with their selected problem spirit. Yuzuru began to chase after Miku with the idol's purse under her right arm while Kaguya checked in on Yoshino to make sure she was still hiding beneath the bench before getting a small distance away and attempting to call for help. Lucky for her Yoshino seemed content to simply quietly cry in the same spot for the moment so she had enough time to open her phone and call the commander.

_No signal…_

'_Odd…'_

Shido was next.

_No signal…_

'_Busy with my kinsman and Yuzuru's master?'_

The phone number used only for emergencies.

_No signal..._

'_What luck is this!? I can't reach anyone! Why now of all times for such a critical failure?!'_

Every other number and connection besides those who could help seemed to work. With no way to call Kaguya realized she and her sister were stuck dealing with this by themselves. Any hope for an easy reprieve was dashed when it dawned on Kaguya that two spirits were now running around in a totally unstable state yet there had been no sign of the commander or her brother coming to aid them along with the rest of the spirits!

'_All of us are under observation but somehow they can't see Yoshino's plight or this current crisis? What kind of illusion could have been cast upon them to render them so blind to such danger!?' _

Kaguya and Yuzuru were now well aware of Rataoskr's monitoring ever since Origami had spoken to them about such matters. Being former AST Origami was a bit more educated when it came to how humans military types operated so she had enlightened the two about all the ways they were being watched at almost all times. Rather than be disturbed or angry about the invasion in privacy the two prank loving sisters had decided to _antagonize _their minders a bit with a few harmless jokes. These included putting in some rather suggestive search terms into their computers and talking in front of a hidden camera about the idea of using their winds to acquire the necessary coins for a new game they wanted by using a tornado to blow a vault right out of a bank.

Needless to say that less than five minutes after they were talking about their possible thrilling heist the commander had appeared in their doorway looking nervous and holding said game in her hands as a gift,_ totally by coincidence _of course!

'_Something is very very wrong here! I shouldn't of even needed to contact them, Miku's powers are lashing out like Yoshino's, they should know by now that something is happening! What in the unholy name of the dark below is going on?!'_

* * *

Outside the city limits

As the situation back in the city became dire Kotori and her crew's attention was totally diverted to another pair of spirits who had already come to blows.

"Get back here you horse's butt!" screamed Tohka in feral rage as she flew through the air, launching waves of energy from her sword at her rival Origami that was absconding with **HER** Shido!

"You left him, this is what you deserve" replied the newest spirit as dodged and ducked while flying with Shido being carried princess style by her

The detail she was neglecting with her argument was that _she _was the one who had made Tohka leave Shido alone long enough to grab him. After Kotori had suggested a little hike in the woods outside the city limits to take advantage of the unusually warm December weather things had gone relatively well after the near disaster this morning with the question about Shido's breast size preferences.

At least until Origami had tricked Tohka by throwing a scarecrow dressed exactly like Shido off a cliff and down into the river below. As the sword wielding spirit dove in after what she thought was a Shido in danger Origami had attempted to use the distraction to lead Shido someplace quiet where she could _talk_ with him.

Yes..._talk_…

They would _talk_ in the middle of the woods where no one could bother them…

She would take off all her cloths and _talk_ with him about many things …

He would need to remove his clothes to _talk_ as well of course…

They would _talk_ **long **and **hard **for **hours**….

Curious...Why were her panties wet all of a sudden?

'_Huh? !? Such thoughts?!'_

Origami could be seen recoiling in shock and embarrassment at what exactly her past self was making her think about. She never could get all its influence out of her head and that usually lead to her brain being randomly bombarded with obscene ideas without any warning.

"Agh! I'm thinking strange things!?" cried the red faced girl as her flight and evasion pattern became erratic from the distraction.

"Origami!? Are you ok? Ah! Careful! We're still high up! If you're going to drop me go lower!" screamed Shido in Origami's arms

"Lower? _*Gasp!*_ Lower! Go lower on me Shido! Yes! Yes!"

Shido could only balk at Origami's red-faced moaning and suggestive words as her imagination and past self asserted more control.

"What are you two up to?!" roared Tohka as she increased the tempo of her attacks

Between Origami looking on the verge of passing out while flying and Tohka's flying energy waves Shido could only look towards the distant ground and pray for his sister to save him from a plummet to his doom.

"_Um...Nice work Shido! Keep it up! (Nervous Laugh) Since you're doing so well I'm just gonna take a small break, be back in five!"_

"What?! Kotori!? What about this is fine!?"

"_..."_

"Kotori? Kotori?!"

* * *

Fraxinus

"I can only hope things are really going well down there" sighed the commander as she oversaw what was likely the most annoying problem she had ever dealt with

**Computer Repair.**

Things had been going so well when she had started the day but now it was like her precious ship was possessed! It had gotten so bad they had lost all surveillance capabilities over an hour ago so Kotori literally had to bullshit her way through Shido's playdate with Origami and Tohka while being totally blind!

Thankfully she was sure her big brother could handle himself. The bigger problem was that her baby was sick and she didn't know what to do about it! She loved this ship!

It had started with the computer systems all refusing to boot up at the same time, when they finally did weird noises had started to come from the mainframe, and now they were facing a serious problem with heat management! By some miracle they were still flying and the stealth systems remained engaged but everything else caused the Ship's computers to heat up disproportionately! It was currently so bad Kotori couldn't even get a stinking dating sim to run without making the AI nearly melt down!

"Urgh! Are we sure NOTHING was unknowingly installed when the ship went in for repairs after Origami's capture?" asked the agitated Kotori

Renie shook her head "No modifications were made or other deviations allowed, the ship was simply fixed according to files on record"

A fist could be heard impacting the commander's console with enough force to knock an unopened sucker to the floor.

"Do we have ANY systems still running that aren't tied to the ship's normal operations? What could be causing this heat buildup within the computer systems?"

"Maybe it just needs to be cleaned out with some canned air? _(Punch!)_ Oh! Again my commander! Again!" As if a barely functioning ship wasn't bad enough she now had to deal with her moronic second in command too…

"We do still have mental graphs for the spirits" relayed Renie from her chair before listing off the status of each spirit's mental state for the commander

It was almost totally pointless without any other systems operating like the teleporter or surveillance but at the very least it was something they could still do while the rest of the crew tried to figure out what was going on.

"Origami is overcome with..._lust _it seems-"

"I reeeaaallly wish she'd get that part of her under control around **my** big brother..."

"-Tohka is highly agitated but it's nothing too extraordinary considering how she had been as of late-"

"Undesirable but at least it's consistent"

"-Natsumi is similarly agitated and feeling a little lonely at home-"

"That one's going to be a handful until Yoshino returns"

"-Curious, Kaguya and Yuzuru are reading heightened tension levels and mild panic it seems"

This news nearly made Kotori bite her lollipop in half "What?! Oh, dammit! Those two went off to chase after some myth for a local tabloid this morning, they better not be in any danger!"

God help her, if those two had done something stupid and gotten themselves in trouble she was going to kill them herself if they survived! Tohka and Origami were causing enough problems right now! They didn't need any more!

"Oh! Right! What's the status of Miku and Yoshino? Anything like that spike yesterday?" asked Kotori while her mind was on the matter

"Very minute changes, they're in a foul mood for some reason but it appears very mild" answered one of the crew who was watching the data stream

"Very good!" Kotori let out a long sigh and pushed back into her chair to stretch "At the very least we have two spirits who aren't a problem" she reflected

* * *

Author's Note: So glad to have finally gotten back to the main story line. That flashback too waaay longer than I intended. As always please leave a review if you like.


	15. Unforgiven

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Ch 15: Unforgiven**

* * *

Never before had the orange haired girl been so glad to be a spirit of winds as a breeze carried her sprinting form across the landscape with unnatural speed. While using her powers for petty concerns was frowned upon by Shido and the commander this was a situation that called for such measures. Miku had fled into the woods after hearing Yoshino's confession and admittance of hateful feelings towards the idol. With her seal weakening and Miku extremely distraught it was important to find her before things could get even more out of hand.

All around her the evidence was damning; trees had been smashed and rips in the earth dotted the landscape, all recent signs of sonic blasts. These displays of power paled in comparison to the damage Miku might of been able do if she reached civilization where there was an ample number of people to listen to her commanding tones. One stray cry could set off another riot easily and if that happened the AST was certain to drop in on them.

Aside from those worries about Miku causing damage to others there were concerns about what Miku might do to herself in some misguided attempt at redemption. Yuzuru could see it now; Miku announcing her retirement as an idol to the public and swearing herself as Yoshino's servant for life or even breaking things up with Shido so as to not give Yoshino more romantic rivals.

'_Idea. What better gift to apologize with than that which both of them desire?'_

Forcing the image of a crying Miku appealing to Yoshino while dressed as a maid out of her head, Yuzuru pushed on. In a stark contrast to the spirit of winds the spirit of music she was chasing appeared to be having difficult with the terrain. Ripped pieces of cloth and a broken off heel gave Yuzuru a clear sign of where Miku was going and the proud Yamai sister was sticking to the trail like a hound on the hunt.

Leaping over a stump Yuzuru came to rest at the end of the trail. No more markers guided her path but she needed none, the nearby rustling bush made it clear she had found her mark.

"Asset acquired. Moving to engage" she said to no one in particular as she approached the quivering foliage and pushed aside the branches.

Inside was none other than Miku who was in the middle of some deep, ugly crying while huddled up in the fetal position. Her figure was the very definition of misery, her eyes damp and wide, her clothes ripped and torn.

"Worry. Such agony in such an uncomfortable place. Please vacate this shrubbery with me before you damage yourself further. It would bring Yuzuru much relief"

"..."

It looked like Miku's mouth moved but nothing seemed to come out.

"Inaudible. Your transmission could not be received"

Once again Yuzuru could see lips moving but only the faintest of whispers could be heard.

"...away…"

"Repeat. The signal is still cloudy"

"G- -wa-"

"Silent. Miku's volume is still too low"

"Go away…" uttered Miku in a hoarse whisper, only barely above hearing range. Evidently Miku wasn't in the mood for company.

"Wonder. So Miku can still talk. But why the quiet?"

"Please go away..."

"Question. Miku does not wish to speak?" asked Yuzuru who could see the ragged (and normally very vocal) spirit trying to keep her mouth shut as much as possible.

"I'm scared…"

"Question. Miku fears verbal communication?"

"I'm afraid of my voice…"

"Sigh. I see. You fear that which brought harm to Yoshino's mind" realized Yuzuru

"I'm a Monster!" breathed Miku, her voice carrying an remarkable amount of hate for something so faint.

It honestly sounded like Miku was both screaming and whispering at the same time to the Yamai who responded "Mocking laugh. Normally such theatrics are best suited to Kaguya!"

Sadly the challenge and it's joking nature was lost of Miku who shriveled up and cried "It's true! I hurt Yoshino-san in such a terrible way! All that screaming? All that crying? It's my fault!"

Realizing raising the mood wouldn't work Yuzuru was forced to take a different, and more awkward, tone "Statement. That...may or may not be correct. Regardless, fearing to speak is an overreaction"

"I won't use this power anymore, I won't sing, I won't speak, I feel like cutting my tongue out…"

"Alarm. Miku should not make self destructive statements!"

"My tongue, my voice; it brought ruin to Yoshino's happiness. It was a mistake to take such a power!" Actually breaking from her fetal position, Miku bit down on the side of her thumb and slammed her feet against the ground "I was a idiot! A big, stupid, idiot! Greedy! Selfish! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!"

Before her tone could get above what some might consider a "library voice" she gasped in pain and quickly corrected "I almost cried…. I can't cry! If I cry Yuzuru-san will… will…." muttered Miku franticly with a hand to her mouth.

It was obvious what was going on now. With the seal weak Miku was forced to keep her regular voice down if she didn't want her magical "voice" to hit Yuzuru and control her mind. The other issue was the sound of her crying which would have a similar, if less controlled, effect. No many how many tears she shed Miku would not allow herself to sob and all the self control was putting her under intense pressure like someone whose arm had been cut off forcing themselves to not scream.

"Interupt. Yuzuru will be fine even if her heart is swayed. It was a mistake that day; one which Miku would never make again"

"Yuzuru-san, please leave.I don't want to hurt you too! Ow!"

For a moment it appeared Miku was preparing to get up and leave only to end up sitting back down with a hand to her leg. From the way she tried to play it off Yuzuru could tell her friend was trying to not draw attention to it.

"Statement. Yuzuru-san will stay here with Miku regardless of any danger posed by her powers" rejected the Yamai

"Please, I might cry! Just leave me to cry alone!"

"Observation. Miku is attempting to get Yuzuru to leave instead of running away herself. Also, this is where she came to a halt while running. Question…. Can Miku not relocate?"

It was then that Yuzuru looked more closely to the hand held at Miku's leg. Small streaks of crimson could be seen leaking through her fingertips.

"Wounded! Miku requires medical aid!"

"It's fine…"

"Deny. It is not fine! Risk of infection is high and a damaged leg could prevent you from performing!" shouted Yuzuru once she forced Miku to move her hand and reveal the nasty gash that lay beneath.

"I don't want to perform. I just want to sit here and cry"

Yuzuru ignored Miku's words of despair and tended to her wound with some bandages from the idol's bag she still held. It was simple matter and luckily Miku carried a first aid kit in her bag since sets could bring all sorts of cuts and bruises that could quickly ruin a photo op or performance. People could stand watching a public figure running around with a bandaid on their cheek but no one wanted to watch a idol bleed all over the stage.

With the area disinfected and wrapped twice in white linen Yuzuru completed her work. Miku said nothing and fell back into her quite grieving but at the very least she hadn't fought her over it.

"Task Complete. The wound has been sealed for now but further treatment is recommended"

"..."

"Question. Miku wishes only to wallow in her despair?"

"..."

"Sigh. With Miku immobile she has no choice but to deal with Yuzuru's presence then"

With a hefty _*thump*_ Yuzuru dropped herself in a sitting position next to the spiritless spirit. Rather than allow things to stay silent for too long she quickly found herself trying to make enough noise for the two of them.

"Question. On a scale of one to ten how is Miku's pain?"

"..."

"Question. Lovely weather isn't it? It's over 20 degrees hotter today than the previous record for this area"

"..."

"Question. Have the time?"

"..."

"Question. See any enjoyable films lately?"

"..."

"Question. Does Miku know what the woodland creature known as the Fox says?"

"..."

"Question. Is Miku getting annoyed yet?"

The last one came out with a bit more acidity than she meant but it seemed to get through to Miku on some level.

"Yuzuru-san is just trying to help, even if she shouldn't bother…"

Ugh…. All this self loathing was really beginning to grind Yuzuru's gears but she knew she had to keep calm; one of them had to.

"Theory. Miku believes because of past transgressions Yuzuru should not aid her?"

"I tried to turn Yuzuru-san, Kaguya-san, and…(pained) _Yoshino-san_ into my slaves. I deserve no love from them. If darling hadn't done something the three of you might still be running around as my puppets. You never should have met me"

"Refute. Miku also saved Kaguya and Yuzuru during Master Origami's ambush. If they had never met her Kaguya and Yuzuru would be deceased" replied the Yamai

The day her master had attacked them with that DEM gear had been exceedingly close; one spirit less and the three of them would have been killed by her prototype weapons. Even if Miku felt like she wasn't worth the dirt caked to her heels right now it didn't change the fact that she was vital to their survival on multiple occasions.

That seemed to be the deal. Spirit shows up, spirit causes problems, spirit reflects on what they did and aid them in battle.

'_Alarm. Who do I suddenly imagine Shido as a pokemon master?' _

"Even if you say that, I just can't let this feeling go. I can't get Yoshino-san's words out of my head. She doesn't think she can trust anyone anymore. I filled her with distrust and fear. It's just like…"

"Question. Like…?"

Consideration was evident on Miku's face. She was thinking about something hard before she spoke "D-Di-Did darling ever tell you my history? About why I hate men?" she barely managed to ask without breaking down

"Reply. I don't think it ever came up. It would be rude to pry into the personal history of others if said history is painful"

"Well In the past I was a pretty little idol. Everyone loved me, loved my songs, and I loved singing for them. I was so innocent; full of hope. The entire word seemed to be cheering me on" spoke Miku. There was clear sense of longing and loss to her tone, like one thinking of a dearly beloved who had violently passed.

"Statement. A young girl fulfilling her dream. I suspect it did not last?"

"No…. This **bastard **wanted me to meet him one day for a opportunity to be on TV. When I came to meet him he-_*Gag*_ me to give him what a girl only has once…"

"Confusion. Something a female only has oc...Ugh!" It hit Yuzuru midway through her sentence what that meant and was thoroughly reviled by the thought

Bastard was right! Yuzuru knew the world of idols and Media was slimy from time to time but what sick freak offered airtime in exchange for getting into a girl's panties?!

"Yes. I told the pig no and left but he refused to take my rejection laying down. Within weeks rumors were being spread about me from every backstage and green room. I was slandered without mercy. They called me everything and accused me of anything. I was loose, I did drugs, I lip synced, I was secretly pregnant, I had an abortion. By word of mouth alone my career was destroyed regardless of my talents and all those fans who swore to support me fled, cursing my good name the whole time"

"Anger. They sound like poor followers"

"That was darling's reaction as well. In the end I was left wondering if I should end it all. Maybe, I thought, people would care about me after I was dead like they do all artists"

"Despair. Miku…"

Yuzuru couldn't imagine that the cheerful girl could have ever been so close to taking her own life.

"Just think about it. Famous people who were hated in life were sudden loved again once they were dead. I could do the same thing. I wanted to be loved by my fans again even if I wasn't around to feel it"

"Notice. But you're still here" Yuzuru pointed out

"Yes, just before I committed to anything "God" or rather the Phantom, found me and gave me the power I wanted"

"Exact match. The Phantom gave you the power of absolute loyalty and affection. All those who were exposed to your voice were forced to adore and swear loyalty to you no matter what. You feared betrayal and were given a way to ensure it never happened again. Your reaction to Shido's sealing attempts makes far more sense now"

This information also matched what her Master had told her of how she became a spirit. A young girl desperate for something and on the edge of suicide is visited by a mysterious stranger who could give them an angel that perfectly matched what they wanted. Origami wanted the power to kill spirits and Miku wanted to force everyone to never betray her again.

'_Idea. Is this the phantom's method?' _Yuzuru wondered offhand.

"It doesn't excuse what I did" stated Miku

"Statement. Perhaps, but it sounds like Miku suffered far more than she ever deserved to"

Biting a nail out of stress Miku uttered "And now _*sniffle_* now I've done to same to Yoshino-san!" with as much volume as she could muster without triggering her voice

"Clarify. Please explain your meaning" asked Yuzuru with genuine confusion.

Miku began to shake and go pale, her tone became more frantic "Because of what that horrible man did to me I was left believing there wasn't a person in this world I could trust! I became bitter and clung to my spirit powers to protect myself! I didn't need friends or trust! I had _power!_ Now Yoshino's begun to think the same way because of my words and my actions!"

"Reflect. It was a mistake Miku. Every spirit has made one"

"My mistake traumatised Yoshino to the point she almost inverted! Because of me Tohka-san was taken and turned into a dark spirit! I almost ruined everyone's life and hurt Yoshino so much she hates me! She doesn't think being sealed was a good idea anymore! I undid EVERYTHING good darling did for her!"

Again Miku's steady climb back to a normal speaking voice was halted by her face losing almost all its color in less than a few seconds "I've become just like him…. I'm no better than that bastard who tried to rape me!" she cursed, looking on the edge of a total breakdown.

"Too far. Stop, I will not allow Miku to make such a comparison!"

With a hard _*Gulp* _the idol caught herself panicking and attempted to regain her composure even if it was only to keep her "voice" from leaking out.

"It's true…" she whimpered, back to a delicate whisper

"Reject. No, it's not. Argument. The producer's attack was focused and borne totally of ill will. Miku's harming of Yoshino was collateral damage. A mistake was made by Miku that day to be certain but these actions cannot be compared"

"The reasons don't matter; Yoshino-san hates me and I can't fix that…"

"Question. Based on what judgement?" Yuzuru challenged forcefully "Statement. It sounds like Miku is giving in before she even tries to repair what has been broken"

"I left a monster running around her head that's driving her insane and ruined her ability to trust others. How do you come back from something like that? How do you undo so much hate?"

"Step One. You speak" stated Yuzuru plainly

"It's not that simple"

"Question. Is it? Recount. Before being sealed both Kaguya and Yuzuru were attempting to eliminate the other in order to ascend as the true Berserker Spirit. I trust Shido told Miku this?"

"He mentioned it..." admitted Miku

"Mistake. Both siblings also very nearly killed someone who is now dear to them as Miku did before her sealing. Compare. Kaguya and Yuzuru were in a state of constant warfare and proclaimed their hate for another in far harsher terms than Yoshino's declaration"

"I don't see where you're going with this"

"Explain. Me and sister hid our true feelings about one another and let deception take hold. It was only once both parties were forced to communication did our feelings of affection manifest. We worked out our conflicts and became the sisters Miku now knows. Could Miku even imagine a Kaguya and Yuzuru who wanted to terminate each other?"

"No…." Miku was forced to concede

God no was more like it. Those two loved each other almost as much as they loved darling in Miku's eyes. It seemed crazy that **anything** besides her Gabriel could make them try and kill each other.

"Advice. Miku must do the same with Yoshino. She must go to her and speak on the matters that divide them emotionally. Statement. It appears Miku caused Yoshino far more harm than she wished to so she must return to set things right"

"But…"

"Question. Did Miku not go from attempting to eliminate Shido to risking her own life to protect him in less than the twelve hours that set these events into motion?"

Miku winced but agreed "I did, I suppose"

"Change. Feelings can shift in unexpected ways when one makes the effort. Did Shido not give up when it came to changing Miku's feelings?"

"No, even though I was stubborn and did horrible things to him and his friends darling never gave up. That spirit...she could have killed me if she wanted to but darling told her to hold back. He was willing to put up with my nonsense and refused to take the easy route if it meant hurting me despite how much I was willing to hurt him"

"Question. A spirit? You mean Dark Tohka?"

"No, I mean…; It's not important now but he made his task of saving Tohka much harder by refusing to hurt me and just trying to talk things out. Darling fought tooth and nail to save me and everyone else that day"

There were no illusions in Miku's mind about what that Nightmare spirit could of done to her if she really tried. A bullet in her head would have given darling back his friends instantly and removed the threat of her as he went to save Tohka. Even if she wasn't killed outright, that girl could've easily taken her out in a million different ways if it hadn't been for Shido's insistence she only create enough space for them to talk.

"Theory. Would Shido give up in Miku's situation?"

Miku adopted a weak smile, a fragment of hope blooming up inside her at the thought of darling's heroics "No, never. Even if it meant throwing himself at Yoshino's mercy and dealing with anything that came; he'd never give up now"

"Challenge. Will Miku? Does she believe her relationship with Yoshino is not worth fighting for? Can she make the effort?"

"I s-s-suppose, bu-but how?"

Yuzuru put a hand on Miku's shoulder and smiled at her in a way that couldn't help but warm her heart.

"Support. Once Miku is confident in her power containment Yuzuru will return with her to Yoshino's location. Both Yamai siblings will assist Miku in speaking to her and helping Yoshino work through her trauma"

Something about how Yuzuru said these things seemed to cause a great dam inside Miku's heart to rupture. The idea that someone she had treated so poorly upon first meeting was now here trying to help her when the unforeseen consequences of that action had caught up to her was just an unspeakably beautiful thing.

"Yuzuru-san, thank you…" said Miku; tears of joy, not sadness, streaming down her face.

Without another word Yuzuru tenderly grabbed the weeping girl and embraced her in a way Miku normally had to force. Having it happen naturally felt pure, comforting, and just plain better when compared to her shameless glomp attacks Tohka-san and the others had gotten used to.

It was too much. After all she had been through Miku felt herself reaching the limit of her emotional restraint. She wanted to cry -soooo- badly after keeping it bottled up this long.

When she tried to push away from Yuzuru the Yamai asked her what was wrong "Question. Why does Miku flee?"

"Yuzuru-san you have to let go; get away. I'm gonna-I'm gonna _*Hrgh!* _cry!"

"Statement. I'll be fine"

"No! I won't control you again! Just get away!"

"Equipped. Noise cancellation devices active" Yuzuru popped in a pair of earplugs she had stored in her pocket "Scavenged. Yuzuru located spare protection from Miku's bag. She hoped to not have to use them but kept them close at hand in case Miku was less cooperative"

This had been the "plan" she had been talking about with her sister before the two split. The last time Miku had dinner with them she had mentioned a misplaced speaker nearly blowing out her eardrums on set so Yuzuru knew they'd be in her bag. Sure, putting in the plugs and drop kicking Miku in the head if she began to inverse wasn't the "best" plan Yuzuru could have come up with but at least she would have looked cool before getting blasted to bits.

With Yuzuru sufficiently protected the last thing keeping Miku from crying was gone. Miku used this chance to let both her emotions and powers go as a way to burn off her excess spirit energy.

"Yuzuru-san is such a good-a goodWHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-She's a good friend!-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" cried Miku between deep bouts of sobbing that saw her "voice" send purple waves of sonic power crashing through the nearby trees.

It was nothing short of a miracle that for the solid ten minutes Yuzuru held the crying girl the AST seemed to never detect the magical sound waves blasting the last few leaves from the mostly barren branches. With each new wail more and more were propelled into the air where they slowly drifted down onto the pair.

By the time Miku was done putting even Natsumi's rather spectacular crying fit to shame both girls were left feeling relieved and more than a little exhausted.

"Pressure Release. Does Miku feel better with her cries expelled?" Yuzuru asked the panting girl as she let go and began to pick leaves out of her orange locks with one hand and the earplugs with the other

"Y-_*Sniffle* _Y-Yes!"

Her voice came off rather hoarsely after so much crying but at very least Miku appeared to be doing better; perhaps not back to 100%; but better.

"Statement. Yuzuru is glad to hear it. It seems both Yoshino and Miku let their emotions get the better of them in this matter when they should have reflected upon it more rationally"

"Yoshino-san has every right to be upset though" argued Miku

Even if the argument could be made that she overreacted a tad, Miku believed Yoshino's suffering was beyond justified in the face of what she had secretly seen aboard the ship.

"Counter. Yuzuru does not believe to the degree that her inverse form should be semi-active because of it. Yoshino believes that Shido's termination at our hands would have been a 100% probability but that appears incorrect"

"I don't understand. What does Yuzuru-san mean?"

"Misjudge. Yuzuru-san means that Yoshino's fears may not be as well founded in reality as she thinks. It's possible that her fear of murdering Shido against her will has been blown out of proportion as it were"

On one hand Miku was touched that Yuzuru was trying to defend her actions but on the other she felt like the Yamai was just being a tad naive because she had never seen the true horror of how the Diva had acted.

"I'm sorry but she's right. I almost made the three of you kill darling for me…"

"Refute. Attack: Likely. Terminate: Less likely. Statement. Even if manipulated spirits were hard coded to accept command input from Miku being freed to find his blood on our hands seems unthinkable"

"Yuzuru-san you don't need to act like I wasn't a monster…"

Yuzuru refused to yield "Argument. Reprogramed spirits were unable to resist commands but it stands to reason that Miku would not allow them to go that far"

"I told you to kill, you attacked him…" stated Miku plainly

The command was given, she did the crime, what else was there to know?

"Statement. An order shouted in a moment of blinding rage. Orders could be rescinded, modified, Miku had every chance to give a stand down command"

"You think I wouldn't have gone through with it? You trust my judgement, even when I was a horrible person, that much?" asked Miku, rather shocked.

"True. Yes"

"It's a nice thought but…"

"Statement. Miku is not a murderer. Shido's body is though and would take considerable time to break even under the bombardment me, my sister, and Yoshino could bring"

"Darling does have that healing power" Miku admitted.

"Exactly. To cause life threatening damage would take a slow and painful series of attacks. It would be closer to torturing someone to death than a simple termination"

"I think I'm going to be sick..." gagged Miku as the mental imagine of what that might look like entered her head.

A hand was clasped to her mouth and her already tortured stomach was bombarded yet again today by queasiness. Yuzuru was right, they would of had to beat darling mercilessly in order to actually kill him. If he could survive being stabbed in the heart for a good 45 seconds, die, then get right back up again how long would it take to actually finish him off? Could even the old her stay mad through such a thing...?

"Sorry. I apologize but Miku must be made to see the truth, also she just proved my point with her sickened reaction. Judgement. She would be forced to watch him die slowly. There's no chance her anger could drive her to keep going"

"You think I'd stop?"

"Argument. Miku was in the middle of a child-like tantrum. The immature throw out harsh words and punches with reckless abandon but once the blood starts to flow they are quick to realize their mistake"

"But…"

"100% Probability. It is Yuzuru's belief that if it genuinely appeared Shido was about to transpire Miku's next order to her and Kaguya would be to get him to a medical facility as rapidly as possible. She simply lacks the ruthlessness to watch over someone, even if she hates them, and just let them die by her orders"

Unsure of what to think anymore Miku turned to Yuzuru and asked "I… I… Yuzuru-san believes that? Truly?"

"Regret. I once openly bragged about how I would strike down Kaguya and claim the title of true wind spirit. The truth was I never had the fortitude to act on such a promise. People make statements when angry that simply aren't true. Even when things come to blows; to make that leap, to actually terminate someone else, it's a much harder escalation than what Miku thinks"

Was what Yuzuru saying true Miku had to wonder? Sure the old her was arrogant beyond words, greedy to the point she viewed people as her possessions, and viscous enough to cheat her way to victory but would she really murder someone? She said she didn't care about lives of others but it had never really been put into practice so she really wasn't sure.

Yoshino mentioned that being made a plaything hadn't bothered her as much and even seemed alright up till the point she had found out about the violence so if Yuzuru's argument was right maybe she might be calmed by it? If they could remove some of her painful feelings, deny the monster in her head ammunition, could they actually help her heal?

"Maybe…?" guessed Miku weakly

"Deny. Not Maybe"

"I guess… I guess most of us have made mistakes…"

"Correct. Yes"

"Yuzuru-san is a kind girl who loves her sister but just couldn't admit it…."

"Reply. And Miku is a childish girl who was afraid of being hurt again who went a little too far…."

Miku let out a nervous but genuinely amused laugh at the comment. It wasn't really funny but being called childish instead of monstrous or evil made her chuckle nonetheless.

"Statement. Now it is time she proves that she can be a mature adult and face the consequences of her actions. Yoshino-san could stand to hear these arguments and much more from both Yuzuru and Miku" offered the Yamai as she stood up and offered the injured idol a hand "Action. Shall we return?"

"Yuzuru-san?" asked the sitting idol

"Reply. Yes?"

"I wish more than anything in the world that we met a different way, but… well… I'm just glad I met you and the others. I always thought that darling was the best thing in the world to happen to me but having friends like you and the rest of the spirits matters more to me than I ever thought it would" spoke Miku, appearing on the verge of tears of joy again before wiping them away with her sleeve.

"Reply. We cannot meet another way, the past cannot be undone but the future is still there. Me and Kaguya promised to enjoy the future Shido brought us together. All of our friends, even Miku, are a part of that future and we will not mind the company"

The two spirits said nothing else but exchanged knowing looks as one helped the other up. With Yuzuru supporting the injured Miku the two limped away back towards Yoshino…

* * *

Author Note: I really like how this turned out. I've been experimenting with a new way of writing dialog heavy chapters where I normally have problems so please tell me what any of you think.


	16. Broken Ice and Shattered Storms Pt 1

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Ch 16: Broken Ice and Shattered Storms Pt 1**

* * *

Even as Yuzuru endeavored to help Miku her sister found her own situation rather unworkable. The more energetic of the Yamai sisters had no idea how much time had passed since she made her attempted calls but after failing to get through sixteen times she finally gave up and moved onto trying to handle the mess in front of her.

Yoshino hadn't budged from her fetal position under the bench but every so often Kaguya took a moment to awkwardly bend down and make sure. Every time Yoshino was still just there, crying tears of frozen sadness. Kaguya wanted to do something, almost anything to help her, but found herself unable to work out the means to make that happen.

It was shameful but she was too gripped by worry to act. Yuzuru was off trying to help Miku but who could say how well that was going or what type of mind the idol was currently in? With her powers unraveling the ability of the Angel Gabriel could easily turn any attempt to help her into something far darker. For all she knew her sister could be on her way back as Miku's slave once more with almost unknowable intentions. Kaguya believed she had felt some disturbance not too long ago and seen flocks of birds rise up in a wave of commotion from the general direction the two had headed but could not be sure what that could mean.

What if a brainwashed sister and mentally unsound Miku returned here to enact some crazed plan to "Apologize" to Yoshino? What if Kaguya had to fight off her sister while avoiding being controlled herself? What if Miku went inverse only to be followed by Yoshino resulting in a battle of Dark Ice and Hellish Music on this peaceful day?!

Kaguya was no coward but she was without sister, without a plan, and totally without any support from her allies. _'As much as I hate to mention that night now I can't help but imagine this was the situation Shido found himself in after our hearts were captured!' _she thought

When she put it that way though, it made her want to act! Shido hadn't frozen with fear! She and sister had found him on top of that tower battling a Dark Tohka for a reason! He overcame his darkest hour with valor! She had to do the same!

For a brief moment there was a fire in Kaguya's eyes as she raised a fist to the air and mentally yelled _'Let's do this! If a mere human can achieve all that a Daughter of the Hurricane should have no issue!'_

This lasted all the way up till she had gotten only a few steps away from Yoshino's hiding spot. That's when the pangs of fear hit her again and she was reduced to being an awkward school girl trying to approach their crush and ask them out on a date.

'_Right… Just go in and…? Ummm…? Maybe…? How do I go about this?' _she thought while pacing back and forth with her fingers together

Dammit! She could not chicken out like this! Before she could back out Kaguya steeled herself and charged into battle!

"I am the arrow of light that pierces the heart of darkness! Kyaaaaaaaaa!"

* * *

Yoshino had been quite surprised and even stopped her crying when Kaguya dove and slid face-first along the grass into her hiding spot beneath the bench's wooden struts like she was a baseball player diving for home plate.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"**Incoming twin!"**

_***Pow!***_

"Whah!?"

"Owwww… I was hoping for a dynamic entrance instead of a facefull of Gaia's domain!" lamented the smaller of the twins while wiping a green stain from her face.

She wanted to make sure she reached Yoshino without giving herself time to pause and panic. This meant taking advantage of momentum and making an entrance that wouldn't allow herself to back out.

Didn't expect it to turn out this comical though…

Still, it worked, Kaguya was now flat on her stomach and right next to Yoshino in her little hidey hole. The blue-haired spirit looked at her through wet eyes with utter confusion, as if she didn't know whether to be sad, angry, or just outright shocked by the entrance Kaguya had performed. Yoshino had just wanted to cry alone in peace, but here was one of her friends who just come flying into her spot like a firework with orange hair; a highly appropriate description of the girl.

"K-Kaguya?" Yoshino sputtered as the twin propped herself up with her forearms in the narrow space

"Sorry about the show! It's hard to make a worthy entrance with less than 1.2 meters of headspace!" The Yamai replied with energy.

Yoshino tried not to look mean or angry, she didn't like looking mean, but gave the intruder a _challenging _look and asked "Why did you come in here?"

Kaguya faltered for a second but put on a smile by the time she replied "Well I couldn't just leave you here to grieve like you were! So I decided to come in with you!"

"**Boy, none of any of Yoshino's dramas ever had a scene in it like this!"**

Both girls and puppet had to admit it was a rather surreal place to host a dramatic scene with Kaguya laid out along the ground with her upper body beneath the bench and Yoshino still laid on her side scrunched up into a fetal position. Yoshino had the feeling this was one of those "Truth is stranger than fiction" moments and that anyone who would ever submit a script with a scene like this to one her morning stories would probably be fired.

Sadly the sheer absurdity of the setting didn't make what was to occur there any easier. Kaguya was certain of that as Yoshino didn't look overly thrilled to see her intruding on her personal space.

"I'm ok… You d-don't have to be here..." she insisted timidly

Kaguya took on a somewhat more worried tone and replied "Sorry, but we both know that's not true"

"**Do you have any intention of leaving your little cry hole? Don't answer, I know you don't! So you just gotta deal with Kaguya being here!"**

Yoshino didn't like it but if she left and tried to find somewhere else to hide there was a chance she'd run into Miku among the trees. She couldn't handle that right now so the unexpected company was a price she was going to have to pay.

"Yoshino? Would you mind talking to me about this?" asked Kaguya. She would push, and push, and push! She'd keep talking and keep forcing the issue no matter what! Kaguya wouldn't let Yoshino retreat into her bastion to sulk!

"I don't want to…"

"It's just, I never expected you to be so caught up on what happened that day. I want to understand why" Kaguya continued

"Mean…" Yoshino whispered

"What did you say my kin?"

"We looked mean…" Yoshino repeated a little louder

"Ah, the video?"

Kaguya remembered Yoshino mentioned how much she hated the glare her brainwashed body had given Shido after charging the stage and how she had seen it later on Shido's recording.

This was confirmed when Yoshino nodded once and slowly revealed her pain. "When Miku got in our heads we looked so horrible as we stared at Shido. He was weak, alone, we had our weapons out even when he couldn't hurt anyone. I always hated our glares. We looked like bullies" Yoshino hugged her legs even harder to her chest and admitted "I never wanted to be a bully. I never wanted to be the bad guy who hurt people when they didn't do anything wrong. Miku made me be one…"

"Our looks alone disturbed you so?" Kaguya questioned

"I watched it all happen. One second everyone was smiling, we were all friends. The next? We all looked so evil, so mean. It didn't even take a minute to make Shido and Tohka mean nothing to us… How could it take so little time? How could everything happen so fast?!" the way Yoshino whimpered as she spoke felt like it was chilling the blood in Kaguya's veins

"Yoshino it…" Kaguya hesitated with her words but recovered "We were hit by an angel built solely to pull at the strings of the heart with full force. To expect us to resist her control is like expecting our bodies to resist being overcome by hellish flames from Kotori's angel"

"I know! I know! I know we didn't have a chance!" Yoshino squealed in pain

"**That doesn't mean Yoshino can accept what happened any easier..." **her Hero explained before patting the girl to calm her down

The petting by the small, felt hands seemed to work as Yoshino untensed her body. Kaguya was getting worried now; they had only just begun and this was already hurting Yoshino. Just how far could she take this before helping turned to harming?

"Seeing us corrupted like that really did a number on your heart, didn't it?" She asked Yoshino with sympathy

Oddly enough the spirit in blue seemed to respond favorably to her question and replied quite calmly. "We looked like bullies" Yoshino repeated before adding "We looked like the ones who chased m-me..."

"Chased you?"

"**The AST spirit murder squad who bullied Yoshino super hard before she got sealed. The idea of the three of you chasing Shido all over town trying to blast him when he didn't deserve it always reminded her of what the AST did to for her months"** Yoshinon said in response to Kaguya's question.

This wasn't an answer Kaguya was expecting but it was something to consider as she untangled this horrible knot of emotions Yoshino was feeling. She could already see how this might of played into her reaction.

"We became your fear, agents of ruthless brutality on the hunt?"

Yoshino nodded and replied with all her heart "I knew that feeling... I remembered what it was like to afraid, to be weak, to be hunted… I would never forget that...I couldn't ever forget that…" a single tear slid down her cheek. "I knew that fear so I always told myself that I would never become like that, to use my power to hurt, to use it to scare others who couldn't fight back-"

"You had a code. With the great power you had been given you refused to abuse it even in the face of those who would harm you" added Kaguya who felt as if she was seeing a part of Yoshino that no one had ever seen before; a side that greatly explained her reaction to what Miku had done to her.

"Yes. I've always thought of Yoshinon as the person I wanted to be. Those girls, because of them, I also knew who I never wanted to be"

"Our enemies shape us just as we shape them" spoke Kaguya

And it turned out those AST girls may of shaped Yoshino far more than most suspected. This also greatly explained why it was that Yoshino seemed convinced beyond reason she and the rest afflicted by the control would of killed Shido without mercy and reviled it as much as she did. In a way Yoshino was superimposing herself into Shido's shoes in that video and this painted a picture she just couldn't handle.

"I never wanted to be like that but…"

The way Yoshino looked at Kaguya before averting her eyes said the rest, the Yamai could only imagine seeing a nightmare reflected in those delicate sapphires. Whatever had been on that video had burned itself into the back of those eyes where they could never leave Yoshino's sight.

"The dark music never gave you a choice-"

"Yes…"

"-And you fear the monster will do the same?"

There was a sickening gulp, as if Yoshino had just vomited in her mouth a little, but the answer still came. "Y-Yes…"

"Yoshino, I think I understand far better now why it is what Miku did caused you such unrelenting harm" Kaguya spoke

"**You mean it turns out trying to make a pacifist with trust issues kill someone she loved might have affected her in some way?! Who could of foreseen something like that coming!?" **

'_A blind samurai with hearing problems' _thought Kaguya bitterly

"Where Yoshino's hatred was weak, Miku's was strong. She forced that hatred onto you and made you into a Vengeful Revenant through her solo. This gave birth to the Shadow of your despair; a phantom of what you could become if you let that despair take over. You feared the Shadow, this "Monster." It reminded you that spirits could lose their way to the darkness. That you could, and once did, be controlled by something to make you into the type of person you never wanted to be. No self, no sense, no honor, just a puppet dangling on the strings of another. Between Miku's control and the revelation of Inversion that night you found something you viewed as more terrible than death" It was a grim explanation for the Yamai to make but Yoshino soon confirmed it to be true.

"Do anything to me… Torture me, burn me, stab me, cut off all my arms and legs-"

"**_Ahem!_ That might be a slight issue to some rabbits!"**

"-bury me alive, turn me to stone and break me, crush me, blast me into bits, throw me into a deep dark hole where I can never escape from, drown me, eat me, break all my bones, even cut my head off! Do anything but that…!"

'_This tone of voice!? How would sister describe it? "Warning. She sounds like someone we need to hide the knives from!" Ack! Yoshino should just not sound like this!' _Kaguya worried at just how her friend was talking

"I-I could handle being attacked, erased, hurt… I was upset that Natsumi erased me but no one was actually in any danger, she just wanted to scare Shido a little… I understood that something re-really t-terrible happened to Origami that made her become like that but I wanted to help her…" listed Yoshino with a slight stutter. Her voice became more sorrowful, fearful, bitter as she went on to explain "But Miku… _*Deep Breath* _Miku didn't have to go that far! She didn't have to make us try and kill him! I couldn't handle that! I could accept someone doing a million different terrible things to me, just not… just not… **just **not that!" Yoshino shifted from laying on her right side to her left side, turning away from Kaguya so the twin couldn't see her tears start up again. "She had no excuse! She had no excuse to treat us like that! Shido couldn't fight her! Why…? Why use us?!"

"**Yoshino's brain has been dragging her back to everything **_**around **_**that hole in her memories since the beast started acting up again and even a bit before that. She keeps looking through what she could remember to find some answers. She wants to find something that will just help that night, well…, she just wants it to make sense!"**

Her friend stared at the back of her head and gave her a worrisome look. Kaguya felt sympathy with Yoshino and understood the poor girl was struggling with a question that may of had no real answer. She had suffered through a painful humiliation that saw all her values forcefully ripped from her head and wanted it to all click together when that just wasn't going to happen. Even if she would never dare mention it Kaguya knew the feeling thanks to another spirit. Yoshino wanted there to be a reason better than "Because she felt like it" for Miku to turn her against Shido. When you suffered so greatly you wanted there to be some great scheme or logic to it instead of mere human whim. Anything else just felt like an insult to your suffering.

This left Kaguya with little in the way of good things to assure her with. "Yoshino. Miku was likely drunk with power after realizing she now controlled three spirits. She just made a mistake-"

"SHE TRIED TO MAKE _**HER **_MISTAKE WITH _**MY**_ BODY! _**MY**_ ANGEL!"

The spirit screamed in a burst of aggression and anger that left Kaguya surprised and coated by a light dusting of frost that had been summoned by her rampant powers. It was a oddly contained lapse in power, Kaguya half expected to see the entire park frozen instead of the small circle around the bench, but it was still cause for concern.

Despite looking like she just came in from making snow angels in her hoodie and shorts Kaguya reached out and shook Yoshino on the shoulder in an attempt to snap her out of her rage. She was worried, Yoshino's anger was boiling over and who knew how short of a fuse the tormented spirit now had when it came to inversion?

Shifting over rapidly Yoshino rolled around to face her and slapped Kaguya's hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Y-Yoshino?!"

"Huh!? I...I didn't…" Seeing the hurt look on Kaguya's face snapped Yoshino out of her rage just in time to notice she had given her a light dusting of snow by accident. Instantly recalling her fears of inversion and seeing herself fire beams of super cold air at Shido in the video she began to panic within seconds."I almost hurt a friend with my powers again…! I almost…! I almost…!"

"Hey! Calm your heart before your emotions overcome you!" warned Kaguya who could tell Yoshino was halfway through switching from extreme anger to extreme terror.

To prove that she was fine put on her best smile, easily knocked the snow out of her damp hair with her hand and said "See! It's just a little arcane frost! It takes a little more than a chill to down a daughter of the winds!" before ending with a boastful laugh.

This response gave Yoshino pause. After losing control of her emotions and power again Kaguya was just laying there with an assuring grin on her face and a handful of snow in her palm like it was the most normal thing in the world.

'_She can go from something scary to smiling like that so fast. Kaguya is amazing…' _thought Yoshino in awe of the way Kaguya could put on a smile to cheer up others when she knew they were worried

"I can't believe I thought…" were the words that came absentmindedly out of her lips seconds later

"What was that?" asked the still grinning Yamai which drew an embarrassed squeel from the girl with the puppet

Finally abandoning her fetal position on her side Yoshino shifted onto her back and stretched her legs out from beneath the bench like Kaguya's. Once comfortable again she tried to deflect the question with "It's nothing… I'm sorry I tried to push you away..." but Kaguya was not buying it

"It's fine but why did you panic as if I was Midas seeking to turn you to gold?"

"I just don't like people touching me lately..." Yoshino was forced to admit

"You seek to be distant from others in both senses of the phrase?"

Taking up the conversation Yoshinon was quick to explain **"Yoshino just doesn't feel comfortable getting too close to people since that meanie in her dreams keeps trying to make her fear hurting them or them hurting her!"**

This lead to Yoshino stuffing the puppets face against her chest to keep him from speaking but the damage had already been done.

"You feared I meant to harm you?" Kaguya asked in response

"**You betcha! That monster keeps showing her nightmares that show you guys getting brain cleaned again or MHMHPHPH?!-" **shouted a Yoshinon who was resisting being silenced as hard as it could **"It really likes to focus on you and Yuzuru but also shows MPHHHPPPPHM!?-"**

"P-Please ignore Yoshinon! It's nothing, I swear"

"**The other night she had a dream where she- MMPHHPPHM!- and Miku was behind you and told you to-MMMPPHHHHPH?!-"**

"That's-That's not t-true! I would never think like that"

"**Even now, every time someone goes to hug her she sees them being made evil and strangling her! When she's watching TV with Natsumi she gets horrible daydreams where she goes inverse and- HHHMMMPMP?!"**

"Yoshinon please stop!" It was sad but also highly relevant that Yoshino was, in fact, losing a fight with herself.

Unfortunately Kaguya had no time to appreciate this fact as she was now confronted with just how fragile Yoshino's sense of trust had become in the wake of her fears. It was impossible to blame her, just how could one feel truly safe when Mind Control was real and you were a race that had a built in "Murder everyone you care about" feature?

Seeking to calm her again she told her friend "Yoshino. I understand if you're having a crisis of faith in others when you now know it's possible to posses and change them through magical means. You don't have to pretend to not fear that which fills you with dread. I'll understand"

With the words of encouragement from her friend, and knowing the jig was up anyway, Yoshino dropped the act.

"I'm terrible… Even now...When I think of you and your sister. I think of you two in that video glaring at Shido… I think the words "Betrayers" and "Traitors"... I know that's not right, but I have a hard time remembering you as friends now..."

Yoshinon gave a grunt of disgust and added **"Bla! You could say that of all the others too. It's like you see nightmares now instead of your friends!"**

It was bitter pill to swallow but with so much of Yoshino's brain consumed by the events surrounding Miku's sealing it made sense that Yuzuru and herself had been mentally associated with that trauma. They were the ones who got captured by Miku's spell alongside Yoshino and were the co-stars of the recording that had set things in motion. It was the rough equivalent of getting stabbed inside a pizza place and associating the smell of pizza with danger from then on.

'_How easily that which brings up joy can be made to bring us terror when linked to an unpleasant memory…' _Kaguya mused bitterly

The twin in black appeared thoughtful as she flipped over onto her back just like Yoshino was. Staring through the wooden slats and into the clear, blue, sky above she contemplated the best way to address the situation.

"I can understand. Your most powerful memory of us has become what was seen in the hidden recording of the past. With such a dark vision etched into your mind's eye you have trouble not seeing us in the role of the villain; even if you know it rings false"

"Are you mad at me?" replied Yoshino with a timid whimper

"_*Scoff* _Of course not. I'm a little upset that me and sister scare you but I can't blame you for feeling such things"

"I know you'd never hurt Shido or betray someone normally. I just keep seeing the bad versions of you whenever I try to think of you. Both Kaguya and Yuzuru are good girls!"

"**Who keep trying to rip Shido-kun's clothes off!"**

There was a light smile on the Yamai's lips, even if it was faltering Yoshino's love for her friends was still easy to detect.

"Both Daughters of the Hurricane would be proud to hear such a thing (Minus your Oracle's words). Still, this cannot stand. I wish to clear the phantoms of the past from Yoshino's mind and reclaim my good standing... all for the sake of making her feel better of course! This darkness clouding my heroic nature must end!"

Yoshino sighed "I really wish I knew how to do that…"

"**Yoshino you need to change how you think about what happened, about how you and the twins acted while braincleaned, and about how Miku acted!" **lectured her hero forcefully

"What do you mean Yoshinon?" she asked as she held the puppet in front of her face

"**Well? Everytime mind slave Kaguya and Yuzuru come to get you in your nightmares, what are you afraid of?"**

"Umm…" Yoshino looked over at Kaguya at the same time she looked over at her.

Kaguya knew she'd feel awkward talking about such a thing openly and fought to assure her it was ok. "Don't worry my friend, I will bear no ill feelings if you speak the truth about the false me in your dreams" she told her

With Kaguya's assurance Yoshino quietly replied "If you say it's ok… _*Sigh* _It's always the same. I break free from Miku's control so you two just start chasing me. When you both catch me you start hurting me really badly… You throw me into walls, blow me high into the air so I fall really hard, whip and stab me with your angels; it's all the stuff I was worried you'd do to Shido when Miku controlled us... "

"**What if they weren't going to hurt you?"**

"Huh?"

"**Mind controlled doesn't mean pure evil. Sure they wouldn't treat you like a friend but doesn't mean Miku's spell turned the three of you into blood thirsty lunatics!"**

"I s-suppose…"

Kaguya spoke up saying "If I remember the report right the divine instrument caused us to place Miku's desires above all else. I don't see a reason she would ever order us to harm you till your lifeforce was in danger"

"**Right! Because Yoshino saw you guys as like those AST baddies she always assumed you became horrible killers! Miku would never have someone as cute as Yoshino snuffed out!"**

"Even if she or another girl got in her way or had some other reason for conflict the most they could expect would to be neutralized"

"**I don't see Miku as the type to waste cuteness she could be controlling!"**

"I was always worried we'd hurt Tohka really badly when she made us fight her. Would she...be ok...?" asked Yoshino with a hesitant hope

"**You'd probably try your best to knock her out or scare her off but Tohka would have been fine. You shouldn't worry too much about her"**

"If me and sister were to ever be manipulated again (Darkness Forbid) even if we were indeed sent against you it'd be on a capture mission" added Kaguya

"You wouldn't beat me up just because you could… That's not as bad… Right?"

It was weird but the idea of a pair of brainwashed Yamai sisters only coming to tie her up and bring her back to Miku put Yoshino's heart at ease somewhat.

"**For all you know Miku could send them after you to tickle you until you passed out!" **Yoshinon joked

The idea of the twins from her nightmares cornering her with their angels only to restrain her and start tickling her without mercy entered Yoshino's head. The comical image helped her heart feel much lighter in her chest and for a second she actually smiled while imaging the two calling out to their big sister Miku while Yoshino giggled herself senseless under their tickling.

Kaguya could see that the darkness in Yoshino's heart was beginning to shift and saw a chance to strike; a chance she would gladly take!

With a tone of playful villainy Kaguya teased "Oh ho ho! Me and sister would be ruthless with poor, uncorrupted Yoshino! We would tickle her till she swore allegiance to Big Sister Miku willingly just to make it stop! Yoshino would choke with laughter till she could no longer remain conscious! _*Evil laugh!* _We could even do far worse, like… Ummm…. _(Yoshinon?)_"

"**I happen to know Yoshino really hates it when balloons pop near her!" **explained a Yoshinon who was more than eager to offer the Yamai his owner's weaknesses

"Oh really?"

"Not that! They're so loud…" Yoshino whined pitifully

"**She **_**hates**_** it! See!"**

"I never knew that about her" said Kaguya with a grin

"**Yoshino really, really likes balloons! She'd actually prefer getting a bouquet of balloons rather than a bouquet of flowers on a date-"**

"Is that weird…?" interrupted a worried Yoshino. It just seemed so childish to prefer balloons to flowers or chocolate.

Kaguya gave the girl a dismissive wave. "Everyone has their preferences and likes" she assured her. There was a bit of trepidation to her voice but Kaguya then added "It would seem odd for one who dwells in the darkness such as myself but I happen to have a thing for plush symbols of Nature's Fury (Stuffed Animals). My sister prefers her trinkets of divine protection and warding (Jewelry). Shido's been pretty good at divining our tastes"

Yoshinon continued on to explain her phobia of them popping **"-Yeah well, one time before we were sealed Yoshino got a bit too close to weather balloon. We were justing flying around when we found this enormous, mega balloon bigger than her whole body! Yoshino wanted to check it out since it looked so cool! Next thing we know the AST drop out of nowhere and popped the thing while shooting at us!"**

"I like balloons but I don't like when they pop because of that…" Yoshino whined

There was a brief sigh from Kaguya. "More imprinting on her heart by Origami's former comrades? They focused on her quite heavily didn't they?"

"**People have been pretty consistently terrible to her"**

Something about that just didn't sit well with Kaguya. It may have been true she had it rough on and off but that was no reason to declare her blessings a wash.

"That seems a tad too harsh don't you think? Yoshino has had the good fortune to meet Shido, the hero who can save spirits from despair, fight off the enemy, and even make a really good hamburger"

Dammit! When she mentioned food Kaguya realized how hungry she was! She was skipping lunch and hadn't eaten much at breakfast as Tohka kept grabbing anything that was leftover after she had cleaned her own plate. She cared for her kinsman but that girl had the appetite of the main character in an anime!

Yoshino didn't notice Kaguya's discomfort. "I know…" she sighed

After so many rounds of her deflection Kaguya was getting better at sensing when Yoshino was drifting back to thoughts of her current plight with Miku. "You know Miku cares about you to right?" she asked the timid girl

Another sigh. "She's different now. I know she wants to take care of us and see us happy… It's just that…" Yoshino was interrupted by her hero. **"Yoshino's brain says that Miku should've cared sooner if she really wanted to be her friend! She had twelve hours to care about Yoshino's feelings when it counted!"**

It was a brutal response and Kaguya could feel the good vibe in the air drifting back into darkness. She needed to act. Yoshino could not be allowed to shut herself away in despair again.

"Yoshino?"

"Yes…?"

"You said you sought understanding. Is that why you asked Miku to talk to you about this before this calamity sent us off course?" It was a subtle jab by Kaguya, meant to highlight the fact that Yoshino did believe in getting better and even planned for it with Miku's assistance

"I did… I wanted to ask her something…"

"What was it?"

Yoshino looked pained. "I wanted to know if Shido would of been ok… If we caught him..." As she said that Yoshino lifted her free hand to her face and just stared at it as if it was covered in the imaginary blood from Shido in whatever horror her mind was showing her.

Kaguya wanted to assure her but couldn't, she wouldn't try to forge some answer and risk hurting her "Sadly I do not possess such knowledge. I have my beliefs but only Miku can reveal that eldric truth for you"

"**You could finally talk to her about this?" **Yoshinon suggested

"That is what you two came out here for isn't it? To crack those ancient tombs open wide at last?"

A shudder. "I'm scared that once I do I won't be able to handle it. That I'll start screaming at Miku, hitting her, that everything bad in my heart will come out at once…"

"You fear that greater insight will bring greater anger just as it did with the video. That enlightenment will drive you mad" Kaguya guessed

Yoshino gave the sister a small nod. "That's not how things are supposed to work though. When we mess up we forgive each other. I don't want to be the only one who didn't. What if Tohka and Shido never forgave me from before I was sealed? I'd hate feeling that Tohka couldn't be my friend because of what I did..."

"Yoshino you-" Kaguya stopped (was she really going to go this far...?)

"What is it...?"

'_It's just fair. She laid her secrets open to me. I must honor our pact of hidden truths!' _The Yamai could be see bracing herself as she prepared her words

"Yoshino?"

"Yes?"

"I am about to reveal something. Promise me that no matter what my sister will never find out about it. That you will not tell her no matter what bribe, torture, or spell she uses. Can you accept the terms of this pact upon the pain of 100,000 years of suffering?"

"**Jeez! What are you offering? To tell Yoshino you have a nasty fetish or something?!"**

"What I keep under guard is something far more terrible" replied Kaguya with a deathly serious nature. "Yoshino?"

"Well if it means that much to you? Ok. I'd never tell anyone someone else's secret…" Yoshino replied with curiosity but a touch of worry as well

Before she spoke Kaguya decided to relocate to a sitting position on the ground in front of the bench in the hopes that Yoshino would follow her out. She eventually did and when both girls were sitting indian style in the open air again Kaguya revealed something she knew her sister must never discover.

A heavy sigh. "Yoshino if you must know I too was harmed by a mistake from one of our kind. A mistake which shook me to my core and for which I never entirely forgave it's perpetrator"

This came as a shock to Yoshino. Was she just making this up? Did Kaguya actually feel the same way as her!?

"No that… It can't be true… Kaguya is a good girl! She's brave, strong, much better than me. It can't be right…"

There was a coy laugh from Kaguya. "I'm proud Yoshino feels that way. But, sadly…, that's not right..." the Yamai leaned back against the seat of the bench, closed her eyes, and openly admitted "Much as you feel venom deep in your heart for Miku and were enfeebled by her acts, I too feel such emotions stinging at my dark soul. It might not be as strong as yours but it is certainly there"

"That just can't be true…!"

Again Kaguya felt pride that Yoshino saw her was so valiant but was forced to correct her. "Oh really? Then it doesn't feel like a dark shadow tapping at your shoulder? Creeping from the corners of your mind? Like a beast inside, chewing at the ropes, wanting to break free?!"

Yoshino recoiled, that seemed familiar. "If that's true...then who…? Are you upset at Miku too?"

"No, but I fully understand why it pains you so. You were forced to watch your own worst nightmares play out before you. A circumstance unique to you. I can't say I'm happy at what Miku did but I never saw that video and had faith that Shido would come for us in the end"

"You weren't scared by that?" asked Yoshino

Kaguya was again hesitant to say so but did admit "I always found the idea of Shido braving all odds to come rescue the spirits who were captured like something out of a story. Shido would stand before me, yourself, and sister and declare that he would save us even if it meant stopping us!"

"But Shido could have been hurt by us really badly!"

"I understand your worry but a Hero often risks injury and death in battle. Whatever scars Shido left with would of been proof that he loved us enough to face down our corrupted forms and rescue us from ourselves. He had to go save my kin first as Miku couldn't compare to the evil of D.E.M. but the idea of him facing us down in combat was actually kind of exciting"

"E-Exciting…?! But he could of been killed by us!" Yoshino sounded upset but mostly shocked.

"Well he handled all three of us when we were unsealed and came out fine didn't he? We only commanded a minuscule fraction of that power when we were possessed by her enchanting melodies" Kaguya pointed out "It's like when bring back a boss at a later point in the game much weaker as a miniboss. It's mostly a distraction"

"I still don't know if I could ever live with myself if I gave him even a papercut…" Yoshino admitted painfully

"Yoshino as soon as we were freed we could have tended to whatever wounds he sustained by our hands as penitence." Kaguya even sounded playful for a second. "Wouldn't dressing as Healers and spending a few days tending to his needs be fun?"

"**Could be. Yoshino used to find maid outfits way cuter than nurse uniforms but that night has really soured her taste for them!" **

"I suppose it'd be a nice way to make it up to him… But who was the one that hurt you then if it wasn't Miku?" Yoshino questioned to the girl with the orange hair whose face instantly soured.

"The perpetrator was… The Witch..."

* * *

Author Note: This ran a bit long so I had to split it again. Next chapter should be finished in a week or so. Please leave a review if you like the story. I've loved the feedback I've gotten lately.


	17. Broken Ice and Shattered Storms Pt 2

**Date A Live: Broken Ice**

**Ch 17:** **Broken Ice and Shattered Storms Pt 2**

* * *

"The Witch...? Natsumi?!" replied Yoshino with a gasp

"Yes, the one who has become so enamored with you as of late. Only Shido might suspect it but her little game brought me more agony than anything I've ever known." Kaguya took a deep breath, Yoshino could tell she was trying to hold back her anger. "I saw her tearful apology, I know she felt a regret deeper than the sea of the fallen stars. However I can't just discard my lingering rage. It feels like my insides are on fire because of it!"

"**You know she made a mistake and still want to be her friend but something deep down just won't let go whenever you think about what she did to you and everyone?"** said Yoshinon who repeated verbatim what Yoshino felt towards Miku

"I can keep it at the castle walls mostly. However, from time to time, the rage breaches the citadel of my mind. I look at her and remember what she did to sister, to my kinsman, to me..." Kaguya put a hand to her stomach with some discomfort. "The memories and anger make me feel sick, cursed with a nasua that won't abate. The longer it lasts the more I feel like I just want to strangle that little idiot for playing with us like she did! Either that or use my Final Dragon Strike to knock her into the underworld!"

Yoshino gasped and found herself too shocked by Kaguya's hateful tone to speak. Her hero was not so off balance and replied **"Wow! That's **_**exactly**_** how Yoshino feels about Miku! You DO understand!"**

"To be caught between the unending eclipse of friendship and cursing her name until my last dying breath? Yes." Her voice cooled but Kaguya still sounded bitter.

She had been hoping to keep her emotions in check but that was proving more difficult than she anticipated. When you kept something this bottled up it was hard to keep it from all spilling out you when it finally found it's way out unblocked. Contents under pressure tended to do that.

"**Yoshino wants to be Miku's friend and just let it go! Then she remembers! Then she feels sick! Then she wants to start choking her while screaming! It's the same!"**

"Y-Yoshinon…? P-Please don't sa-ay that stuff outloud…" asked the recovering Yoshino who didn't want to risk anyone else hearing that.

Still this was huge news for the timid spirit! Word for word, Kaguya had just summed up her own feelings towards Miku only aimed at Natsumi instead. It was a most intense feeling of relief to know that someone else felt her plight and that she no longer was alone in this struggle.

That relief came mixed with a sense of another unease of a different variety.

Natsumi judged herself harshly and always believed the worst scenarios her brain came up with. Yoshino happened to know she still secretly suspected at least one of the girls she had erased was mad at her and even listened to her go off on a paranoid tirade one day as they were watching TV about what the others might of said about her behind her back. Everyone had been hammering it into her head that they were fine with her and forgave her but Natsumi never quite got it.

If she found out her suspicions were correct whatever little self confidence she had would go right out the window, even if it was only Kaguya who felt that way.

"I know you feel two sets of anger, one for the person who committed the crime, another for yourself. You want to be a grand hero! Someone bigger than mere petty grudges who has their last scene where they stand over the villain and proves their valor by showing mercy to them and not cutting them down in defeat!" Kaguya said while making the pose of someone about to stab someone below them with a sword only to stop at the last second

"**A roundabout way of saying it, but yes"**

Kaguya's pose returned to normal. "But in reality you see them and wish them to pay a terrible price! You feel like they got off without enough suffering for what they did to you and your loved ones! That they need to be punished by the being eaten alive by the scarab swarm of the cursed sands!"

"But Kaguya, Natsumi got all cut up by that mean woman who kidnapped Tohka… She almost died…" Yoshino pointed out

"I know! I know! I know!" shouted a thoroughly riled up Kaguya "I know she suffered! I know she came before us weeping tears of deep sorrow! I witnessed these events! That doesn't excuse taking sister away into the netherrealm just to instill terror in Shido! Our shared object of affection wasn't the only one who would notice her grand star missing in the sky! He wasn't the only one to feel her loss!"

"S-Sorry!" cried the recoiling spirit

"No. I am sorry. That was… thuggish of me. Can you forgive me?" realizing she had just had her own moment of blind fury Kaguya took some deep breaths and offered a hand out to Yoshino as an apology.

Yoshino looked at the hand being offered by the girl and recalled her own meltdown earlier when she slapped that same hand away. "It's f-fine! We all m-m-make mistakes!"

Yoshino took the offer and found it was a nice feeling. That nagging terror at the back of her mind telling her Kaguya could be controlled at any second and would start savagely beating her didn't show up for once. With no hands free and the twin holding onto her she was opening herself up for an attack but that worry didn't bother her now. The two just sat on the green grass linked together in a moment of peaceful silence.

It was nothing but them, some strong wind whistling through the trees, and a few distant murmurs of the passing crowds back in the market. Both girls wanted to comment on the idyllic scene but didn't want to ruin the moment.

"**Holy cow! I don't remember it being this windy before! First we get spring break weather before Christmas and now it feels like the Wicked Witch of the West is about to blow by!"**

That was Yoshinon's job…

"It did get windy all of a sudden…" agreed Yoshino

Kaguya was unconcerned. "It's probably nothing. Sister would generate far more mighty gales than this for battle. I'm sorry again for my behavior"

"I'm sorry I made talking to me such a chore… I actually feel a little better after talking to you…" Yoshino replied with a soft smile

"Yeah? Well, I'm grateful you opened your book of secrets to me. I actually found out some interesting intel about Yoshino today!" Kaguya then flashed a foxish grin "He He. I'll have to recommend some bags of magic winds to Shido as gifts for her the next time her sorties with her."

"**Yoshino learned a lot too! We had no idea you felt that way about Natsumi's hide and seek!"**

"_*Sigh* _It was just a challenge I was unprepared for. Before I arrived I was already ready to die for sister's sake. Once you make peace with the idea of leaving your body behind and meeting your maker you'd think nothing could scare you anymore. I was wrong"

"It was that scary?"

Kaguya could see Yoshino's morbid curiosity and did her best to explain. Determined to keep her wrath in check this time she kept her mind aware of the timid girl's hand in her palm; a reminder to retain her anger before continuing. "It's a feeling you wouldn't know as you were asleep for most of it. To put the horror into words? Imagine having Yoshinon taken away one morning for no apparent reason or way to get them back-"

"Eeeee! I don't want to imagine that!"

"-Now imagine that while you are dealing with that you have to pretend to be strong even though you feel like your darkened heart beats painfully in your chest every second they are gone. Days go by, more and more of those who you call clan are taken from you with each night till you wonder with each sunset who will not be there in the morning-"

"Kaguya…"

"-As your loved ones disappear you have to act strong. Eventually you wake up to an empty home, have breakfast with the boy you love who's been reduced to a shell of his former self by worry, and go to school all alone only to notice more people missing. Before long, you start to hope you're next to disappear and...Yoshino?"

Getting so wrapped up in her story Kaguya didn't notice anything till Yoshino tugged at her arm slightly to snap her out of it. "You can stop talking about it. I understand…" she said softly. **"You're kind of shaking already and it's freaking Yoshino out!" **her hero added

There was a nervous laugh out of the twin. "Sorry! Revisiting that realm fills me a slight mania of the old ones. It makes me yearn for the companionship of our adventuring party around the campfire"

Yoshinon translated for his confused owner. **"So you get lonely?" **

"You don't like being lonely and I don't like having to hurt my friends" spoke Yoshino. "Both Miku and Natsumi hurt us with something we hated. I understand now…"

Yoshino would rather dive willingly into Natsumi's mirror than relive the day and night of the festival while Kaguya would literally press her ear to the side of Miku's organ on that stage and wait for the solo to play rather than go back to the start of Natsumi's game. What was a small issue to one was a hellish nightmare to the other.

"**But why keep this from big boob Yamai? I thought you guys never kept secrets?"**

Ignoring Yoshinon pointing out that she was the flatter sister and with her hand still linked to Yoshino's, Kaguya explained "I don't even want to imagine what she would think or do if she discovered my sleight of hand. I had to boast of my courage as soon as she was freed so she would not discover my dark secret. I was lucky she did not immediately return to her bedchambers before I could wash away all the evidence of my shameful acts!"

"You did something in her room?" asked Yoshino

"**Something **_**shameful…? **_**In her **_**bedroom**_**…? Boy does that invite some **_**interesting **_**theories!" **

As if having her breakdown in the bowling alley with Shido wasn't a shameful act already he never even knew Kaguya had a second episode in Yuzuru's abandoned bedroom, no one did. It pained her to admit what had transpired there but she felt Yoshino deserved to know especially since she had shared her own breakdown in the bathtub with them earlier.

"I may of crept into her room, slept in her bed and… _cried_… a little…"

"You did?!" Yoshino gasped

"**Darn! I got my mind in the gutter for nothing!"**

With her head held low and another furious gust of wind blowing her hair around Kaguya admitted her disgrace. "Everyone in the house was gone. Kotori did her best to try and pretend everything was fine and comfort me but it wasn't the same. I snuck into my sister's bedchambers and sought a healing sleep. Like a hound on the hunt I could still smell her essence in its folds, it was as close as I could get to her when she was beyond the veil"

"**And you cried yourself to sleep when you smelled her and remembered she was missing?"**

"Yes. They say smell is the sense that triggers memories the strongest. I guess it was true. Sister always did use the shame shamp-Huh?" Kaguya was stopped mid-sentence by a feeling of pressure on her side.

Looking down she could see Yoshino appearing flustered as she leaned against her body with her head on Kaguya's shoulder; her friend's hand still clutched in her own.

"Yoshino? What has possessed you so? Are you cold from this baleful wind?" she asked, wondering if her friend was just seeking warmth as the gusts blowing through the park picked up into a minor windstorm quite strangely

"Y-You looked sad! I didn't want you to f-feel sad again! I wanted to m-m-make you feel better! When I thought about what would make me feel better... Oh, this is all I could come up with!" Yoshino cried with embarrassment

"**Yuri-Yuri flags here we come!"**

"Whaaa?! Don't j-joke about that Yoshinon!"

The Yamai in black chuckled at the gesture before moving her arm and wrapping it around Yoshino's body and dragging her into a friendly hug. The two were now sitting hand in hand on the grass with Kaguya's free arm hugging Yoshino to her side. This was followed by a clash of orange and blue as Kaguya affectionately nuzzled Yoshino's head with her own.

"I came here hoping to the be the winds of change flowing through Yoshino's heart and here she is soothing mine with her calming waves. Irony is a comical thing indeed"

"You...You don't have to do that…!" squeaked a Yoshino blushing crimson

"**Wow, normally you're only this affectionate with Yuzuru!"**

"I guess being reminded of that infernal week when sister is not present has given me a craving for affection like a zombie to flesh"

"I guess it's ok then…?" Yoshino didn't understand but at least her friend looked happy, that was good enough for her

"**Hey Kaguya! If you want Natusmi to suffer just take a picture of this and send it to her with your phone. Trust me, you couldn't come up with a better revenge!"**

This sadly seemed to knock Kaguya out of her mood and she stopped the nuzzling, but curiously did not cease the hugging and hand holding. "_*Sigh* _Sadly that might lead to sister finding out and I could never risk my counterpart uncovering this wicked plot"

With the cuddling over Yoshino took a few seconds to calm down and flush the red from her face before she asked a question she had been holding onto.

"Kaguya…?"

"Yes commander of the ruthless arctic winds?"

Yoshino looked down. "You said Shido worried a lot when we all got erased, right?"

"He was as pale as a White Walker from beyond the Frozen wall of the North. I maintained my ruse for the sake of not worrying him even further" replied Kaguya who knew that saying he was worried was a grave understatement. "Why do you ask?"

"I just didn't know since I was asleep…"

"It was actually on the morning after you were removed from this world that his terror became palpable"

"R-Really…?" asked a Yoshino who was clearly not expecting that response "Even after I...I…"

"After what?"

Yoshinon stepped in after his owner couldn't finish. **"Yoshino's just surprised that he worried about her so soon after she was turned against him. In her eyes he shouldn't of cared about a traitor being taken away"**

"WHAT?!" screamed Kaguya as she broke the hug and just stared straight into Yoshino's eyes as if the girl had just tried to eat her own head "That makes so little sense even a mad god would call it lunacy! Shido believed his inability to see through Natsumi's limitless lies got you spirited away in the night! You would actually believe he wouldn't care because of something you couldn't control!?"

"That… Is that true…?" responsed Yoshino with surprise.

"The commander told me as much before we began our final showdown against her!" Kaguya yelled "Natsumi took people away based on his guesses of who she was disguised as! It was an attempt to crush him with guilt by the witch spirit and her mirrored angel! He was worn ragged those days you were gone because he was being led to believe he may of doomed those locked within that empty realm!"

Sure Yoshino and the rest knew now that Natsumi wasn't overly evil and was just acting childish with a franky dangerous amount of power at her fingertips but at the time it had been hell. She took everyone away but never promised to give them back so Shido was left to worry if Yoshino, Tohka, and everyone else who disappeared would ever be seen again.

"I never knew he actually worried about me…"

Yoshinon sensed opportunity. The little rabbit said **"So Shido-kun believed Yoshino was put in danger by him thanks to an angry spirit and her angel? Hohoho! Before that mean Monster in her head even came back Shido-boy went through the same feelings as she is now!" **Yoshino was forced to raise her puppet up right next to her face and stare into it's lifeless eyes **"And how does that make you feel huh? Do you like the idea of Shido suffering because he was **_**forced**_** to hurt you? Would you like to see him ruined by unshakable guilt?!"**

"N-No! It wasn't his fault! He n-n-never meant i-it! I was ok!" Yoshino pathetically stuttered in the face of her hero's challenge

"**Because you care about Shido-kun you don't want to imagine him suffering?" **The puppet tilted backwards with it's paw to it's head like an actor pretending to be on the verge of fainting **"You don't want to see him keel over in agony at how he was tricked into getting you erased? You don't want to see him crying tears of unspeakable guilt over nearly making you disappear forever? You don't want him to suffer everyday with the memories of what happened?" **Yoshinon called out overdramatically as if he was the star of some terrible stage play.

"No! No! No! I wasn't even hurt! I'd never want Shido to feel guilty over that! I trusted Natsumi to let us go eventually so everything was fine! All I did was lose a few days!"

With it's trap set up Yoshinon pounched like the mighty animal it was (Or rather believed itself to be)! **"Then how would Shido-kun like it if he knew you got so torn up about attacking him while being Miku's puppet that it was making you sick!? That you actually thought in your heart that you were a nasty betrayer because of it?"** Yoshino looked set to crack as her hero called out her double standard. There wasn't a single ounce of anger in her heart towards Shido for what had happened when she was erased. Shido was backed into a corner by an angel he had no way of fighting and a spirit who wanted to turn his actions against his loved ones for the sake of torturing him. The idea that he was hurt by the guilt frankly made Yoshino feel sick. **"If you would never want him to feel bad about getting you spirit-napped because of his bad guessing how would he feel if he knew about how much you blame yourself for that Solo business?!"**

"He'd tell me it was ok and do anything he could to make me feel better..." Yoshino held her head in shame as she came to realize he'd tell her the same things she had just said about him

"**And this is what you needed all this time!"**

"To know I was wrong and feel like I'm a stupid baby? Ow! Y-Yoshinon…"

Yoshinon was forced to tug on Yoshino's hair after she said something so plainly wrong. **"No! You needed to talk to others like Kaguya here! You found out something new, got a another perspective that isn't from your brain, you're forcing yourself to think different!"**

"But, it still hurts…"

"**Yes, but if we change it little by little it will probably start to hurt **_**less**_**. What do you will think will happen if we don't try to change it at all?"**

"It'll always stay the same and hurt just as much…"

What Yoshinon was saying was true. Up till now she was trapped with her own despair and anger rattling around inside her head, the second an outside source joined the fray that cycle of arguing with herself over the details of what had happened with Miku had become vulnerable. This had been her hero's plan since the get-go albeit with Miku herself rather than Kaguya but the Yamai sibling had already proved this plan was viable.

"I suppose one can't learn much by arguing with an echo chamber" said Kaguya after she realized his game

"Would that really be ok…?" Yoshino looked to Kaguya for answers and hope "Would you be fine...talking to me about it…?"

"By all means!"

"I'm just a little worried… I might talk about it lots and lots...it might get boring…"

Even with all that had already been said Yoshino felt the desire to say so much more. With an outlet finally in reach she knew she had so many things she wanted to discuss with Kaguya but worried about forcefully dragging the sister through her misery even more than she already had. She just didn't feel comfortable forcing a friend to talk about the same thing over and over again when they felt no real connection to the event.

Of course Kaguya didn't worry about such things at all and even came up with a counter offer, saying "If you wish to confide in me about your dark events I shall do the same with my own, deal?"

"**So you want to talk about that nasty week and how you feel about Natsumi until Yoshino's ears fall off?"**

"Well… It sounds so much more abhorrent when you convey it like that…" defended Kaguya who didn't like the way he said it. "I possess my own misgivings and merely wish to decipher my inquiries with her aid. Equivalent exchange dictates this as fair after all"

"Like what?"

You could see the Yamai rebound at Yoshino's question. She hadn't expected to be put on the spot so soon. "It's… You see… If I were to encounter Natsumi and accost her with my true feelings how would you expect her to behave...? I wish to unload my burdens with her but fear how she will govern her own emotions"

"**You mean how we're going to probably have to hide the knives from her if you ever tell her about this?"**

"To say such a thing without reserve!?"

"Y-Yoshinon! D-Don't say it like th-that!" rebuked Yoshino with dismay "I think… I think… Um, if I'm there maybe I can slowly break it to her? She really does feel terrible about what she did to all of us"

"**Well what are you after anyway?"**

This question forced Kaguya to think on her goals. "I suspect something akin to what prize Yoshino seeks from Miku. I would like my woes to be heard and acknowledged by her so that she can gaze properly into the abyssal hellscape of my torments. After this revelation I would seek to continue my quest by requesting she make detailed certain events"

"Like what?"

"I suppose you could call it morbid curiosity or an attempt to relieve some of my doubts but I want to know strange things. What was she thinking when she ghosted into sister's bedchamber to steal her away? Why she took her first? Did she bother to check on her captives during her game? Just what her endgame was and if she had any intention of freeing those taken if she won? Worries about if she would think to release her hostages if she was attacked by D.E.M rather than risk all of them falling into their hands."

Kaguya could be heard to make a frustrated grunt "Ergh! I hate to think about it but she put everyone in danger by running around with them in her angel. One stray raiding party she could not handle and those fiends would easily pilfer all the spirits still disoriented by sleep! It frustrates me to know my clan was put in such danger for a mere child's game!"

"I understand what you mean… I get really mad at Miku because she could of gotten us all captured by those bad people with what she did. In some of my nightmares I see us waking up from her spell and being all chained up in one of their scary labs instead of flying around outside the tower. If she got beat up all four of us could of ended up like Tohka…"

That was a terror neither girl could stand thinking about. The idea that they could end up being tortured by their enemies because a rogue spirit had taken them away from Rataoskr's protection. Sometimes it wasn't even their actions that enraged the two but rather the potential, and quite deadly, consequences that could've been with Deus Ex Machina on the prowl.

"I see we really compare better than I first believed" Kaguya commented at how in synch the two seemed to be when it came to their fear

"Yeah… I understand your questions! They all s-seem good...to-to me!"

"**Got any more?"**

* * *

For the next hour or so the two continued with this back and forth. Yoshinon piped in from time to time but for the most part it was just Yoshino and Kaguya finally giving form to whatever feelings they might of had left over from their respective events. While it had been true Yoshino was at first worried Kaguya was making up her plight in order to comfort her it hadn't taken long with the orange-haired spirit to see that this clearly wasn't the case. There was just no way to fake the depths to which the Yamai had thought things through. Whenever one would come up with another question or hypothetical scenario the two would discuss it down and the other would come up with their own.

It was like finding that one person who happened to like the shame obscure hobby as you did, everything matched up flawlessly as the bounded from topic to topic. They spoke on their shared wish that they could of been given a chance to fight back before succumbing to their respective angels. They compared the other's perspective from each event to their own. They spoke at length about how confusing it was to want someone to suffer horribly for their crimes but at the same time wanting to be their friend. If the subject hadn't been so horrible this might of been considered a great bonding experience!

For both the feeling could only be described as liberating. Yoshino frankly spoke about her nightmares and had someone besides Yoshinon to help her confront them and, while Kaguya hadn't been as badly affected by own problems, she found getting them out in the open was very refreshing. The two would even make each other laugh by coming up with some absurd and comical spin on their trauma like Yoshino had with the mind controlled twins coming to tickle her. For a solid ten minutes the two were almost in tears as they came up with things other than turning them into kids Natsumi could of done with her angel after she lost her game.

"A gender swap! Most anime has one at some point!" Kaguya had argued

"I really don't want to be a boy…"

"**You think you'd have a problem being turned into "Yoshi" rather than "Yoshino"? Just imagine how Miku would take it! Hmmm…? What would the boy version of her name even be...?"**

"Probbaly somethings along the lines of-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?" joked a Kaguya who had pretended to be a gender swapped Miku screaming and pulling at her hair before mock fainting.

This drew a stream of giggles from Yoshino who felt bad about laughing at Miku's expense but just couldn't hold it back.

"**Oh! She could of made all of you really, REALLY fat! Lots of anime have those weight gain episodes were the villain makes the heroes huge when the main character is trying to diet!"**

Yoshino gently patted her stomach. "That one doesn't sound as bad… At least we wouldn't make problems for Shido if we were heavy…"

"You say that but the power to gorge and gorge without restraint would be a dark temptress for my kinsman! If we all became sumo and had no care for out fattened figures Shido would have to cook enough food to fill our gravid bellies! Tohka would be even more ravenous!"

"**That's possible!?"**

In her heart Kaguya felt that this was good, sister and Miku had yet to return but for the moment she had Yoshino fighting off her fears and actually smiling for the first time in ages. She was feeling better, Yoshino was feeling better, everything was going smoothly.

The only thing that could even dampen the mood was the sudden windstorm that took hold in the area and had been buffering the two girls(+Puppet) for over an hour now. Kaguya was worried at one point that her own powers had come loose but found them to respond normally, still the two were forced to gather close to ward off most of the chill the winds brought. The two still sat in their same spot, huddled up together on ground in front of the bench, they could've honestly just sat on the bench itself but neither seemed bothered enough to care. Neither even noticed they were still holding hands at this point either, a fact that warmed Yoshino's heart.

"Kaguya?" Yoshino had asked after lending the hungry Yamai a candybar she had in her pocket.

"Wrah?_ (Yeah?_)" her friend replied with a mouth full of chocolate

"**Hey! Don't talk with your mouth full! What are you? An animal?!"**

"I just wanted to say thanks… This has all really been nice"

Feeling touched Kaguya gulped down her snack. "I'm just grateful to come to your aid" she told her

"I've never even talked like this, about all this stuff, with Tohka before… Natsumi either… It made me feel better"

When she saw the cute smile on Yoshino's face Kaguya couldn't help but laugh. "He He! I never expected to build my lilly rank so high with the likes of you either. Misery makes strange bedfellows it would seem" with a giant grin on her face she even went as far as to say "Yoshino might as well be a younger third sibling to me!"

Again Yoshino blushed in the face of such affection. "Oh! I don't deserve that! I really like you and your sister but I can't be one!"

"**Idea. We can be the second Yamai set" **Yoshinon offered while making it's best impression of Yuzuru's mannerisms

"Well, it would at least make things less hellish if sister were to ever be removed again" Kaguya replied in good humor before suddenly turning dark "I don't really want to imagine how I'd make due throughout such a situation again…"

"**Hide the knives from yourself?"**

Seeing Yoshino frown Kaguya knew she had made an error. "I see you are worried. A million apologies! I did not wish to drag you back into my dark shadow so carelessly"

"I understand. It's hard to get away from thinking about it just like me and my stuff. And...well… I'd be ok being there for you if something like that happened again. I actually wish I could of helped you the first time around after hearing all this" Yoshino put a finger to her lips in thought before saying" Maybe I could of gotten taken first? I know that would mean Yuzuru would still disappear second but… at least you'd get another day with her… I suppose that'd be something?"

"Yoshino…" was all Kaguya could say while almost tearing up at what her friend was offering.

"Oh! Sorry! I guess that wouldn't help much anyway would it…?"

"No. That… That would… I mean to say… " the Yamai actually struggled with her response "-I would also not hesitate to do anything I could to protect you from Miku's solo if given the chance. I'd gladly be her slave a hundred days and nights if only to spare you"

It was a pointless gesture for the most part but every word of it was true and both girls felt touched by the ready sacrifice of the other. For Yoshino, who had lost so much faith in the strength of the bonds between others, she could feel that wound start to mend; if only a little.

"Um, thank you, Kaguya…"

Her friend gave an embarrassed smile. "I know it really doesn't mean much since I too was afflicted regardless. Still, if I was given the chance to alter the path of fate I'd easily take it"

"No, I understand. I'm still grateful that you would try…"

"But while we are on that subject there is something you must do for me"

"Oh?"

Looking seriously into Yoshino's blue eyes Kaguya told the girl "Earlier you expressed a belief that you were in some way a willing defector to Miku's cause. Your hero said you believed yourself a vile turncoat unworthy of Shido's concern-"

Yoshino tried to look away.

"Um…."

"-I never want to hear you say such things again. Being controlled is in no way the same as being a traitor. Yoshino may think what she will about me and sister but if she ever openly states such a belief about herself again I will grab the biggest sphere of levitation I can find and rupture it right next to her head!"

"**Wow! You'd even threaten her with that?"**

"A Yamai believes in tough love if the situation requires it! Yoshino should never doubt her true loyalties and I'm willing to make her suffer a thousand blows if she refuses to listen to reason!"

"**More like a thousand pops!" **Yoshinon joked as it's ears flopped over from the wind

Both puppet and palm were soon clasped over a fearful Yoshino's ears after letting go of Kaguya's hand. "A thousand?! No! No! No! No! I promise! I won't ever call myself a traitor again!" squealed the girl in desperation to avoid such a fate.

"Good! Because I promise if I ever hear you say such a thing again that will be your fate! Every morning as the sun crests the horizon I will ride the shadows into your bedchambers and unleash a deafening burst! Your curse shall be to awaken to your avatar of terror every day!"

"**Still a better way to wake up than what Kotori does to Shido!"**

"Y-Yoshinon… Please don't say that… Talking behind the backs of other people is wrong!" Scolded Yoshino before getting awkward again and addressing Kaguya "Also… Thanks for trying to help me even if I make it hard-"

"Of course, it's my honor"

"**It means a lot to Yoshino to know someone cares enough to stop her if she's making a mistake, even if they need to use force!"**

"-Yes… I wanted Shido to stop me when I couldn't control myself… but he never did-"

"My friend, you know he wouldn't touch a hair on your head..." Kaguya argued

Yoshino snapped back"-That's not what I wanted! I wanted someone to stop me before I hurt anyone! I didn't want him to hold back!" This was followed by her getting strangely quiet "It's weird, I get so mad at Shido and Tohka for not just blasting me so I couldn't fight anymore. One swing from her sword, that's all it would of taken. Just something to stop me from attacking Shido. I wouldn't of minded if she broke a few of my bones. I get worried that if I ever let the Monster take control everyone will hesitate to stop me like that again and I'll kill them all... "

"Hey! Hey! Don't speak like that!"

This conversation was getting dark again and far too quickly for Kaguya's tastes!

"I'm glad… I know Kaguya cares enough to stop me if she has to… That makes me feel much better…" Yoshino was actually smiling as she told her friend such a dreadful thing

'_She still worries about being a danger to others. Yoshino doesn't just have issues trusting everyone around her, she can't even trust herself anymore…' _thought Kaguya with a horrid grimace.

"Oh! You look sad! Was that too dark…?" Yoshino worried after noticing her friend's face

"The black pits of the underworld are less bleak" Kaguya conceded

"Sorry…"

"It's ok" said the Yamai before giving a deep sigh of understanding. "It's just another thing we both feel. That stinging presence at the back of your mind that always forces you to see the world through its narrow scope. You wonder if you're ready to prevent it from happening again, you think of schemes and plans, you compare power levels, you even fantasize about scenarios where you overcame the foe in front of you and saved the day with brutal cunning!"

An embarrassed crossed Yoshino's face. "I watch anime and play video games… I imagine my favorite heroes coming to save me from Miku..."

Kaguya gave her a knowing look. "That is a crime I too am guilty of. I fantasize of the great superhuman warriors of the void descending from the world's shadows to force the Witch to release my sister from her mirror. There's a great catharsis in imagining those of great power backing your foes into the wall and making them suffer!"

"**Yoshino has had daydreams of her favorite video game character, White Heart, bursting in through the ceiling of that auditorium and beating Miku within an inch of her life with her giant axe!"**

"Y-Yoshinon… Please d-don't say that outloud…"

Kaguya actually laughed. It was a bitter, dry laugh of exhaustion but it was still a laugh. It was just that the absurdity of the situation finally hit her and she couldn't control it. The idea that two mighty spirits could be laid low by mere fear as if they were nothing more than children frightened by thunder was just comical in way.

"Heh… As the former hero and blind hag of the spirit swamp once said "You can't expect to deal with future enemies if you're still fighting the old ones." The two of us linger in those terrible times and carry our foes within us still, throwing us off balance. Those days have long since past but for us they have warped and become one with our present and possibly even our future. We're so desperate for relief we'll even turn to heroes of fantasy and daydreams as a means to make them end. It will never work"

"**So what did the hag say to do about it?"**

"She said to cease carrying around your former enemies you must learn from them, understand them, face them. If we are to return to balance and move on we must release this fear and let our enemies go"

"**Can we get that in Tohka-speak? Ya know… So a baby could understand it?"**

"Well she used a magic spirit swamp full of mystical vines-"

"I-I don't think we have one of those…"

"-I guess it just means confronting our fears. We must face the ones who brought us harm and stare down who they are and who they once were"

Truth be told Kaguya was more than a little disappointed they didn't have a wise old sage character to lead them through a spirit journey through a magical swamp.

'_So many great heroes have performed such a treck! If I am going to get lost on my journey of life I could at least have such a epic moment! I've always wanted to learn some amazing new power while training under a wise one in the swamp!'_

"That'll mean facing Miku… That's scares me…" Yoshino said timidly while looking away from Kaguya

"**Yoshino doesn't want to face her fears! She's afraid of them!" **

If she had been paying attention the girl with the blue hair would've seen her friend with the orange locks looking at her strangely, as if she had something in mind.

"Yoshino?"

"Ye-HUH?!"

_*Chu!*_

Before she could even realize what was going on Yoshino found Kaguya's lips on her cheek, the Yamai was kissing her!

"W-W-Whaaa…?!" After the sensation of soft lips on her right cheek had disappeared Yoshino was still blushing the color of Kotori's twintails as Kaguya gave a lighthearted chuckle.

The twin had been hoping for this reaction and wanted to capitalize on the shock it brought. When Yoshino had mentioned Miku's name once more she could see the darkness entering her heart, dragging her back into her fear. The little peck on the cheek had been to knock her out of it before that fear could take hold once more.

As corny as it sounded she had decided to fight fear and pain with simple love, a strategy that had paid off if the steam shooting from the timid girl's ears was any indication.

"W-Wh-Why did you k-k-kiss me?!"

Kaguya gave a cute and playful pout she normally saved for Shido. "Did Yoshino not enjoy the affection?" she teased

"Yes! No! B-B-B-But...!"

"I wanted to assure Yoshino and remind her that she would not being dealing with this alone. Both the Hero of Ice and the Hero of the winds would be on this journey together. We have already left the idyllic outset town in pursuit of our great foes after becoming aware of our destinies! We will walk these lands and clear these dungeons as a team!"

"**Can I be the fairy who tells you to listen every three seconds?"**

Yoshino was left both touched but still uncertain. Could they really actually come back from all this after so many nights fighting off that monster? Was it even possible to "Release the fear" as Kaguya had put it? "Are you sure this will work…?" she asked her friend

"**Hey! Listen!"**

With a smile as bright as the sun itself Kaguya told her friend "We can try, can't we?"

"I suppose… It feels wrong of me to rely on you but I can give it a try… I think..." Yoshino conceded

"**Seriously! Listen!"**

"Don't be mistaken my friend, I will need you just as much as you need me. You possess far more knowledge about the dangers of Natsumi than I do. You shall be the wise huntsman guiding our group through the barren landscape of her personality on the way to the raging volcano of her heart where I will deposit my misery and break this curse!"

In spite of the unflattering description of Natsumi's mind Yoshino softly nodded her head in agreement. "I'll try… For Kaguya-san!"

"**List-Oh never mind! This joke is already old…"**

Kaguya cheered with glee. "Excellent! If all goes according to plan I can bury this cursed hatchet and sister will never have to know!" she snickered.

"Why are so scared of Yuzuru finding out anyway? I don't think you ever told me..." questioned Yoshino

Even thinking about it send chills down Kaguya's spine "You have no idea how much blinding rage this would fill her with do you?"

"Not really… Why would she be mad?"

"I believe my kin told you about the battle that took place on that island we met Shido on?"

"Yes, Tohka said you were trying to figure out which of you was the real Spirit"

"I'll spare you all the details but after we were both saved we vowed to live together in happiness. There was another pact as well, that we would not repeat that mistake again by hiding our feelings from one another. Our hidden emotions nearly got one of us sent to the underworld after all!"

"**I get it! If she finds out you broke that promise because you didn't want anyone to know you were sad she'd be super pissed!"**

The twin nodded. "After two hearts cried as one in the middle of that storm there was supposed to be no more secrets between us, at least nothing this grave. Aside from the unspeakable pain she would probably inflict for breaking that promise I'd have to worry about how she'd react to the crime itself"

This left Yoshino puzzled. "What do you mean?"

With her hands held behind her head and her face pointed at the sky Kaguya dismally disclosed her anxiety while leaning back.

"Another thing we swore is that we would always be unimpaired and emotionally sound if something were to happen to one of us. If I were to fall I would want my sister to mourn me as little as possible and move onto a happy ending worthy of our story and she would wish the same for me. That was the binding contract we both signed in blood; when one Yamai falls the other finds their peace and does not dwell on the deceased. As far as sister could be allowed to know I was perfectly calm and valorous while she was gone-"

"But you weren't…"

"-True. I was so shaken by losing her for only a few days that I crept into her bed and wept while submerging myself in her musk just to be close to her. It disturbed my heart to the point I still bear a grudge against the one responsible and even check to make sure she's safe in bed every night!"

"**You peek in on Yuzuru to make sure she hasn't disappeared each night?" **balkedYoshinon at the admission

"Yes, I creep to her room and check in the middle of the night when she slumbers and make sure the Taken King and his dreadnought has left her alone. In all, it was a shameful defeat that would only serve to drive my sister to worry about my wellbeing. I proved in no uncertain terms that I could not handle losing her. She might react _strongly_ if she found out..."

As another gust of ferocious wind tore through the park grounds Yoshino was forced to grab Yoshinon with both hands to keep him from blowing away. "Ooof! So you really think Yuzuru would do something..._bad _to you, if she found out...?"

Kaguya gave a nervous smile. "She would probably attempt to torture me in some unspeakable way until every fear and doubt I ever felt was forced from my lips. After that I could expect to never know another waking moment without being buried by her affection"

"That seems like an over-reaction…"

"You don't know the half of it. Knowing her she'd probably drag me off to talk to Natsumi and clear this up even if she had to break half the bones in my body and carry me there!" Kaguya joked

"Statement. That's an interesting concept..."

_*WOOOOSH!*_

The sudden blast of wind following those words was enough to blow both Yoshino and Kaguya onto their stomachs and pin them to the grass. This was a rather good thing as the bench the two had been sitting in front of was ripped right from the ground and sailed over Kaguya's head missing it by inches, almost as if it had been aimed at her. Before she could even look back the Yamai had the feeling it actually was.

'_That voice! By the black hearted ones! It can't be?!'_

Eventually the wind died down enough for the two to lift their bodies away from the earth only to roll over and see something that made Kaguya's face go almost pure white within milliseconds. Two spirits (of a more endowed nature) were standing over the pair, just staring at them.

The worst part? Both Kaguya and Yoshino had the feeling they had been listening in for a while…

* * *

Author Note: This is a big one so I held back and tired to catch as many errors as I could with some actual proof reading this time. Still probably lots of mistakes but I can always edit them out when I see them. Hope you all enjoy. Next update may not be for some time as I want to give my other stories some attention.


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